Demolition began Monday at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, the site of the deadliest shooting in United States history, according to the Associated Press (AP).
In November 2017, 26 worshipers were tragically killed in a mass shooting at First Baptist Church when gunman Devin Patrick Kelley opened fire. Authorities said the shooting was the result of a domestic dispute involving Kelley, who later died after a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his mother-in-law, who occasionally attended church facilities but was unable to attend the massacre. .
A year and a half after the shooting, a new church was completed for the congregation. However, debates persisted over the fate of the other site that served as a reminder of this fateful day.
According to the AP, demolition crews moved to the site, tearing down the small shrine.
The destruction of the building marked the end of a long online debate over the fate of the site. For nearly six years, church members and the Giant network debated whether to keep the building as a memorial or demolish it.
In 2021, First Baptist members voted to demolish the structure, despite opposition from some families of those affected who sought to maintain the site.
The debate eventually made its way to the courts, with a Texas court temporarily halting demolition this summer with a prohibition order after responding to a request for dismantling from the conflicting parties.
Last month, another ruling denied the order’s extension, paving the way for the demolition, as the church’s lawyers argued in their court filings that the construction had “a constant and very painful reminder” of the tragedy, the AP reported.
The debate over what to do about mass shooting sites is a larger struggle that communities across the country continue to face after lives were lost.
According to the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, an independent, nonpartisan organization committed to reducing gun violence in the United States, more than 19,000 people have been killed or injured by gunfire in shootings in the United States. mass over the 8 years between 2015 and 2022.
Newsweek reached out to Everytown’s email on Monday for comment.
In Parkland, Florida, demolition began last month of the building where 17 other people were killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The Parkland demolition came after former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students made a strong call in 2022 for the school to be demolished after the jury sentenced Nikolas Cruz, the shooter, to life in prison.
Similarly, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut was demolished and rebuilt after the 2012 shooting that left another 26 people dead.
Additionally, on May 24, 2022, a shooter killed 21 other people at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Shortly after the shooting, many local officials and parents called for the school to be destroyed.
“Robb Elementary, we will not be returning to this campus in any form. There will be no college on this campus as we move forward,” Hal Harrell, superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, said in June. In the long term of this site, discussions are taking place about what it will look like. As we move forward as a network, we will receive input from the network on what this will look like for our network. “
Natalie Venegas is a weekend reporter at Newsweek in New York City. She focuses on education, social justice issues, physical care, crime, and politics, while specializing in marginalized and underrepresented communities. Prior to joining Newsweek in 2023, Natalie worked with news. publications such as Adweek, Al Día, and Austin Monthly Magazine. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. You can contact Natalie by emailing n. venegas@newsweek. com
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