Friends,

Six years after the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the 1200 building is undergoing demolition.

The building has stood vacant since that day, being preserved as a crime scene for trial purposes. Its presence in the community has been a poignant reminder of the horrific event that occurred on Valentine’s Day of 2018.

Throughout the Fall of 2023 and the Spring of 2024, lawmakers, policymakers, and elected officials toured the scene with members of the victims’ families in an effort to understand and reflect on current school safety measures. They had the opportunity to see firsthand the way that the system failed the students and teachers – and we’re committed now more than ever to ensure that they take action so that no one will ever experience this kind of fear and devastation at the hands of firearms ever again.

Former teachers and students have expressed the impact that the building’s continued presence has had on the community, leaving them with vivid memories and trauma each time they pass it. Tony Montalto, President of Stand With Parkland and the father of 14-year-old Gina who lost her life in the event, has expressed the need for a memorial on the grounds. “Just because the building goes doesn't mean that that ground is not sacred and important because of who was lost there, who was taken,” Montalto said of the demolition.

Schools should be places of learning, not future memorial grounds. In 2018, as a response to Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a major step was taken toward safe schools when the legal age to buy a firearm in Florida was raised from 18 to 21. Now, that may be reversed. A house bill would return the age to 18, backpedaling on the progress made toward safer schools. We need your help to fight this change and protect our students. Please consider making a donation today to support our efforts in advocating for safer schools and ensuring that progress is not undone. Every contribution makes a difference.

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The demolition will serve as a continuous, solemn reminder about the need for school safety reforms. Now that it is gone, the space must have an appropriate memorial to those who were taken from their families and our community much too soon.

– Stand with Parkland