Demolition began Friday of the 1200 building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where Nikolas Cruz killed 14 students and three adults in a Valentine’s Day shooting in 2018. Cruz’s rampage injured 17 others in what was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. Hunter Pollack, whose sister Meadow was one of the slain students, expressed his relief that the building is being torn down, as it serves as a constant reminder of the horrific tragedy. Pollack believes the building should be knocked down to provide some closure to the community and to eliminate the negative impact it has on those who pass by it daily. Despite the pain of his loss, Pollack acknowledges that his sister will always be in their hearts.
The 1200 building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has served as a painful reminder of the tragic day in 2018 and a source of nightmares for current students who have been attending school in a new adjacent building on the campus. The building has remained standing, frozen in time with its bullet-ridden walls and blood-stained floors, as the legal cases of Cruz and school resource officer Scot Peterson unfolded. With Cruz sentenced to life in prison and Peterson acquitted, the dismantling of the building is underway, expected to take several weeks. Items belonging to survivors, victims’ families, teachers, and staff have been returned to them as the demolition progresses.
The presence of the 1200 building in the community serves as a constant reminder of the tragic events that occurred there, especially for Pollack, who lost his sister in the shooting. He believes that removing the building will help provide closure to the community and allow for healing to take place. Pollack suggests that a memorial could be built in place of the building, but he is open to the idea of leaving the site empty if that is what the community decides. The decision regarding the future of the site lies with the school board and elected officials in Broward County, who must consider the impact on the community.
Some families have visited the building to see where their loved ones were killed, including Vice President Kamala Harris and members of Congress. However, for Pollack, it would have been too painful to tour the building and witness the scene where his sister lost her life at the hands of Cruz. Pollack has seen footage of the shooting and describes it as vile, comparing it to scenes from a war documentary. He advocates for ending the unanimous jury requirement in death penalty sentencing after a divided jury spared Cruz from the death penalty. Pollack is determined to ensure that the community receives a fresh start by demolishing the building and moving forward from the tragic events that took place there.
Pollack describes the gruesome scene inside the 1200 building after the shooting, with blood everywhere and chaos resembling a horror movie. The impact of the violence is evident in the footage and images he has seen, which he believes are too disgusting to be witnessed in person. Despite the pain and trauma associated with the events of that day, Pollack remains committed to advocating for justice and ensuring that the community can heal and move forward. By removing the building and creating a new beginning for the community, Pollack hopes that the memory of his sister and the other victims will be honored in a way that allows for healing and closure for all those affected by the tragic shooting.
