PARKLAND, Fla. – Crews began demolition on Friday of the 1200 building on the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The 1200 building was the location of the 2018 Valentine’s Day mass shooting that killed 17 students and staff members, and injured 17 others.
Since the shooting, the three-story building had remained untouched on the campus, with a fence preventing entry. Bullet holes and blood stains were still visible, and it was being preserved as evidence for the gunman’s trial. The shooter is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
With the trial now being over, the building is being demolished. The process is expected to take several weeks, reports WPBF.
The start of the demolition was scheduled for Thursday morning but was delayed one day due to inclement weather, reports Local10. Families of the victims were invited to observe the demolition, reports USA Today.
Officials haven’t determined what will take the place of the 1200 building. Some have suggested a permanent memorial be erected.
Schools Sometimes Demolish Sites of Mass Shootings
Parkland follows in the footsteps of other campuses that have demolished buildings where mass shootings have taken place.
In Newtown, Conn., where the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting resulted in the deaths of 20 children and six adults, the town voted to tear the school down. A new school was built on the site in 2016.
Related Article: 6 Years Later: The Heroes and Victims of the Parkland School Shooting
Additionally, the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission recommended many school security upgrades pertaining to school design, access control, emergency plans, training, video surveillance and first responder participation.
In Uvalde, Texas, officials have announced they plan to demolish Robb Elementary School, the site of the 2022 mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers.
To read past coverage of the February 14, 2018 Parkland mass shooting, click here.