The First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, where a gunman killed more than two dozen worshippers in 2017, was torn down using heavy machinery despite some families wanting to preserve the site. The church had been kept as a memorial since the shooting, where 26 people lost their lives, including a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. A new church was completed for the congregation a year and a half after the shooting.
Many community members, including an 86-year-old church member, expressed sadness and disappointment as they watched the demolition. Some families had filed a lawsuit in hopes of a new vote on the fate of the building, but a judge ultimately allowed the church to proceed with the demolition.
Various locations of past mass shootings across the U.S. have been dealt with differently. Some, like the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people died in 2018, have been demolished. Others, such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, have been torn down and replaced. In Texas, the Robb Elementary in Uvalde, where a shooting occurred in 2022, will also be demolished.
Overall, the demolition of the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs has sparked mixed emotions in the community, with some feeling it was a necessary step while others believe the building held historical significance and should have been preserved.
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