Plans are set for the tear-down of the infamous 1200 building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where 17 individuals lost their lives in a devastating 2018 shooting spree. Demolition is scheduled to start on either June 13 or 14, following the school's final class days on June 10, Broward County Public Schools confirmed in a statement Thursday.
The razing of this structure, holding the weight of sorrow and memories of Feb. 14, 2018, is expected to span several weeks., according to officials who have yet to announce detailed timings for the demolition. NBC Miami reported the news first, acknowledging the sensitivity around this phase for a community still grappling with the tragedy.
"We understand this is a sensitive and difficult time for the families of those who were killed, those who were injured, and all of those who are forever impacted by the tragedy on February 14, 2018," the district stated, signaling their commitment to keeping the affected community in the loop as they proceed, as per NBC Miami.
Last year, after the accused shooter, Nikolas Cruz, received life imprisonment, family members and survivors were given a chance to retrieve personal items left abandoned on that horrific day. The building had stood through the legal tribulations, housing whispers of both the living, and the lost – until the recent decision for its demolition was cemented, as per a WSVN report.
While the physical structure of the 1200 building will soon be gone, the memories of those affected by the events within its walls are indelible, serving as a haunting reminder of the work yet to be done in protecting the nation's schools and the children within them.
