You can find the latest on the investigation involving Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie here. Download the WFLA app for breaking news push alerts and sign up for breaking news email alerts.
TAMPA (WFLA) – One Tik Tok user is making sure Gabby Petito’s name is seen from the sky as a way of hoping her fiancé Brian Laundrie is brought into custody.
Justin Shepherd the originator of the idea says the banner plane which reads “Justice 4 Gabby – TikTok Times Up” flew over the Laundrie’s North Port home for two hours on Monday afternoon.
Shepherd tells 8 On Your Side the plane cost approximately $2,550 for the two hours, and one of Justin’s followers donated more than $1,100 to get the plane airborne.
“It came up on one of my TikTok videos and my followers wanted to do it. All of a sudden, Venmo donations started coming in,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd although says he organized the plane, but the banner is very much a creation of the TikTok community as a whole and bringing attention to Petito’s death.
The FBI continues to investigate Gabby Petito’s death as a homicide. Her body was found on Sept. 19 near Grand Teton National Park. Authorities are still waiting for a full autopsy report to determine her true cause of death.
The sole person of interest in Gabby’s death, her fiance Brian Laundrie, remains missing and the focus of a search that has spanned nearly a month.
Laundrie was reported missing on Sept. 17 by his parents, just six days after Gabby’s family reported her missing.
The North Port Police Department and FBI continues to search for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County.
A federal arrest warrant was later issued for Laundrie on Sept. 23. The warrant came after a federal grand jury indicted Laundrie for his activities following Gabby Petito’s death.
The FBI has set up a national hotline to receive tips about Petito’s disappearance. Those with information are being asked to call 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324).
