‘A symbol of failure’: Demolition of Parkland high school massacre site begins as families of the victims look on
CNN
For six years, a building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a gunman killed 17 people, was a nightmare frozen in time. But now, the 1200 building, which contained the bloody and heartbreaking remnants of the massacre, is being demolished.
For six years, a building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a gunman killed 17 people, was a nightmare frozen in time. But now, the 1200 building, which contained the bloody and heartbreaking remnants of the massacre, is being demolished. The demolition of the building began Friday morning, with an excavator tearing into the top floor of the three-story building under a clear sky. Some family members of the victims watched from nearby tents on school property. Some cried. It is expected to take several weeks to complete, according to the Broward County Public Schools district. It will be dismantled in pieces, starting from the top. “This building has been a symbol – a symbol of failure. I know many in the community are happy to see it go,” said Tony Montalto, who lost his 14-year-old daughter, Gina. His son is concerned people will forget once the building is gone. His wife had grown attached to it from the many times they took lawmakers through its corridors. “As for me, I’m concerned because we haven’t seen a solid plan yet for what’s going to replace this building. We need something that’s going to reflect the ones who were taken from us, the people they were before the tragedy.” The district said in May the demolition would take place in summer 2024 following the end of the school year, which was Monday. The demolition was initially set to begin Thursday, but was delayed due to days of torrential flooding rain in South Florida. The shooting ripped apart 17 families, including 14 students and three faculty members, on Valentine’s Day in 2018. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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