Columbine High School May Soon Be Demolished
It’s been two decades since the horrific Columbine High School massacre that took place in Littleton, Colorado in 1999. On that tragic day, two high school students opened fire on their fellow classmates and teachers, claiming the lives of 13 people.
In the years following the incident, the community has done their best to respectively mourn the lives lost. At the same time, they’ve also tried to move on from what happened while avoiding being the source of interest of curious onlookers. While the original Columbine High School is still standing, local officials believe it is time to start thinking about demolishing it, according to CBS News.
The name of Columbine High School will never be forgotten and will forever bring up memories of the tragic events that took place there years ago. It is the location, after all, of one of the most well known school shootings the nation has endured. That is a part of the history of Littleton that cannot be erased. While the community is aware of this fact, they are also concerned that the site itself has become a source of inspiration for those out there that could be potential school shooters. It is for that reason that some Littleton citizens feel it should be destroyed altogether.
Colorado school district moves to tear down Columbine High School to stop "morbid fascination" https://t.co/N0Jw1UHmyP
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) June 7, 2019
Gun violence continues to be a major issue in the United States, with school shootings happening at a much more frequent basis in recent years. Unfortunately, there are people out there that are fascinated with the massacre that took place at Columbine High School. They call themselves “Columbiners.”
Jason Glass is the superintendent of Jefferson County. He is ready to see the building torn down. In a public statement, he explained why he feels it is the best decision in terms of public safety to have the school demolished.
“Perhaps influenced by the 20th anniversary of the shooting, over the past 11 months the number of people trying to enter the school illegally or otherwise trespassing on school property has been increasing — now to record levels. Since the morbid fascination with Columbine has been increasing over the years, rather than dissipating, we believe it is time for our community to consider this option for the existing Columbine building.”
He explained how hard it has been over the past couple of decades to keep spectators away from the original building.
“We have hundreds of people who try to enter the building or walk onto the grounds or slow-roll by it. We even have tour buses of people that stop outside Columbine High School,” he said.
