,

This is What Happened To School Sites After Mass Shootings

Robb Elementary in Uvalde will be torn down after last month's massacre. That's not always the case for schools where mass shootings occurred.

Photo: AP Jae C. Hong

Yesterday, The Root reported that Robb Elementaryโ€”the school in Uvalde, Texas where a deadly mass shooting occurred last monthโ€”will be torn down. On May 24, 21 peopleโ€”including 19 childrenโ€”were killed in one of the most shocking acts of violence this country has ever seen.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

During a city council meeting Tuesday, Uvalde mayor Don McLaughlin stated: โ€œMy understanding โ€” I had a discussion with the superintendent โ€” that school will be demolished. We could never ask a child to go back, or a teacher to go back into that school ever.โ€

With Robb Elementary being demolished in the near future, we researched what happened to seven other school sites where mass shootings occurred. Here are the results.

Santa Fe High School (2018)

In this May 18, 2018, file photo, law enforcement officers respond to Santa Fe High School after an active shooter was reported on campus in Santa Fe, Texas. Photo: AP Steve Gonzales

On May 18, 2018, ten people were killed when a 17 year old student opened fire at Santa Fe High School in Texas. The alleged shooter used a shotgun and a revolver in the attack that belonged to his father. Eleven days after the shooting happened, families went back to the school for an event that honored those who died in the tragedy. Shortly following that, students went back to class. The classrooms where the shooting occurred were closed off by newly constructed walls.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High (2018)

In this Feb. 15, 2018, file photo, law enforcement officers block off the entrance to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., following a deadly shooting at the school. Photo: AP Wilfredo Lee

On February 14, 2018, a a teenager used an assault rifle to kill a total of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida. Students returned to classes just two weeks later and were escorted into the school by hundreds of police officers. The freshman building where the shooting happened was cordoned off. Nearly 150 grief counselors were also made available for students.

Sandy Hook Elementary School (2012)

In this Dec. 14, 2012, photo, officials stand outside of Sandy Hook Elementary School after a shooting in Newtown, Conn. Photo: AP Julio Cortez

On December 14, 2012, a 20-year-old gunman in Newtown, Connecticut murdered his mother at their home before heading to Sandy Hook Elementary School. There, he fatally shot 20 children and 6 adults before taking his own life. Students were sent to an elementary school in a nearby town and the building was demolished in 2013. A new schoolโ€”which kept the same nameโ€”was rebuilt in its placed. Around $50 million was spent on the structure.

Northern Illinois University (2008)

In this Feb. 14, 2009 file photo, Five crosses stand outside Northern Illinois Universityโ€™s Cole Hall marking the one year anniversary of a shooting in the NIU lecture hall that left five students dead in DeKalb, Ill. Photo: AP M. Spencer Green

On February 14, 2008, a gunman entered Cole Hall at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb with a shotgun and three pistols. He shot five people to death and then shot himself. The shooter, who was a 27 year old graduate student at the school, fired 54 rounds from the weapons. Two weeks after the massacre, Governor Rod Blagojevich announced Cole Hall would be torn down and that a new building, called Memorial Hall, would replace it. It opened four years later.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2007)

Norris Hall, Virginia Tech University campus, Blacksburg, Virginia. Photo: AP The Associated Press

On April 16, 2007, 32 people were shot to death on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. The gunman, who was a 23-year-old student at the school, was armed with a 9-millimeter handgun, a 22-caliber handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. He also wound up taking his own life. After the shooting, Norris Hallโ€”where most of the deaths occurredโ€”was immediately closed and reopened two years later.

Columbine High School (1999)

This April 21, 1999, photo, shows the news media compound near Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. Photo: AP Ed Andrieski

On April 20, 1999, two gunmenโ€”ages 17 and 18, opened fire on their classmates at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. They wound up killing 13 students before turning the guns on themselves. The school closed for the remainder of the school year after the shooting and wound up reopening in August. However, its libraryโ€”where most of the violence occurredโ€”was permanently closed. Two years later, a new library opened.

Cleveland Elementary School (1989)

A man and two students arrive back at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, Calif., Jan. 17, 1989 after a heavily armed gunman invaded the school yard and killed five children and injured 30 others before killing himself. Photo: AP Paul Sakuma

Five children, ages 6 to 9, were shot and killed at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California. The shooting, which took place on January 17, 1989, was at the hands of a 24-year-old white supremacist targeting Southeast Asian children during recess. He then turned the gun on himself. The school didnโ€™t close for long; three weeks later Michael Jackson visited the school to comfort those affected by the incident.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Latest from The Root

Have You Heard of The Tragic Story of Phyllis Hyman, a Beautiful, Soulful Singer Derailed By Her Own Demons?

Have You Heard of The Tragic Story of Phyllis Hyman, a Beautiful, Soulful Singer Derailed By Her Own Demons?

The soulful singer, known for hits like "Living All Alone and "You Know How to Love Me" died on June 30, 1995, just days before her 46th birthday ...
13 Ways Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Will Impact Black Americans

13 Ways Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Will Impact Black Americans

With its hidden provisions and bold attacks to Medicaid and Pell Grant recipients, here's everything you need to know before it's way too late ...

The Real Tea Behind Tina Knowles, Mathew Divorce

The Real Tea Behind Tina Knowles, Mathew Divorce

While it's been nearly 15 years since the couple ended their marriage, we now have a good clue as to what exactly caused its dissolution ...
Suge Knight Claims Tupac's Mother Made This Shocking Move in His Final Moments

Suge Knight Claims Tupac’s Mother Made This Shocking Move in His Final Moments

Knight's latest claim follows a series of confessions that might be tough to beliieve for a lot of folks ...
Spoilers: Black TikTok Has Theories on Whether Taraji's Daughter in 'Straw'

Spoilers: Black TikTok Has Theories on Whether Taraji’s Daughter in ‘Straw’

A very interesting theory about the major plot twist of the film is now being widely dissected and we've just got to discuss it! ...
The Unbelievable Reasons Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Got off to a Rocky Start

The Unbelievable Reasons Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Got off to a Rocky Start

So far, the jury has sent five different notes to the judge, suggesting jury deliberation in this case will be tedious and difficult ...
The Gruesome Truth Behind the Death Of a 7-Year-Old Florida Girl Found Unresponsive in Her Home

The Gruesome Truth Behind the Death Of a 7-Year-Old Florida Girl Found Unresponsive in Her Home

Naikishia L. Williams originally told police her daughter became unresponsive after she was given medication, but quickly, those claims were refuted ...
Remy Ma Detained After Altercation With Daughter of Man Her Son is Accused of Killingโ€” And it Was All Caught on Camera

Remy Ma Detained After Altercation With Daughter of Man Her Son is Accused of Killingโ€” And it Was All Caught on Camera

Jayson Scott, Remy Ma's son, faces murder charges for his alleged involvement in the 2021 shooting death of Darius Guillebeaux ...
DDG Says He Wants Another Kid, But the Details Behind It Have the Internet Big Mad

DDG Says He Wants Another Kid, But the Details Behind It Have the Internet Big Mad

In a now viral clip, the popular streamer was caught expressing his desire to have another child, but his method has the internet in a tizzy! ...
Mike Tyson Wants to Talk to Trump About What??

Mike Tyson Wants to Talk to Trump About What??

The former heavyweight champion wants President Trump to make the changes to some current laws that the Biden administration did not ...
Why a Lot of Black Folks Aren't Feeling Michelle Obama's Post-White House Era

Why a Lot of Black Folks Aren’t Feeling Michelle Obama’s Post-White House Era

After her podcast with her brother launched in March, some dedicated fans say silence is golden ...
Chris Brown Wants This... To Stop Right Now!

Chris Brown Wants This… To Stop Right Now!

Conversations about where Brown stands amongst the R&B space specifically, were renewed recently but it doesn't seem like he's here for it ...
Huge New Development in Case of Black Daycare Owner Who Shot Husband After Discovering Abuse

Huge New Development in Case of Black Daycare Owner Who Shot Husband After Discovering Abuse

Supporters say Daycare Owner shouldn't have spent a single day behind bars ...
Plot Twist: MAGA Drags Ex-Rep. Jamaal Bowman for N-Word Claims And They Are ... Right

Plot Twist: MAGA Drags Ex-Rep. Jamaal Bowman for N-Word Claims And They Are … Right

Past studies have noted a link between racism and health concerns for Black Americans, but there's no evidence to directly back up Bowman's claims ...
Photo: Getty Images Paras Griffinfor Idol Roc; Win McNamee

Why Nelly Needs to Finally Admit the Real Reason He Performed For Trump

Nelly is still defending his decision to perform at President Donald Trump's inauguration, when he should just own up to it ...
Black TikToker Who Sprayed Bug Killer on Walmart Food Learns His Fate

Black TikToker Who Sprayed Bug Killer on Walmart Food Learns His Fate

Wolfie Kahletti pleaded guilty in April, and now, he's officially been sentenced for his December crimes ...
Three Friends Were Headed To A Beyoncรฉ Concert, But One  Dies On the Way. Guess What The Other Two Did Next?

Three Friends Were Headed To A Beyoncรฉ Concert, But One Dies On the Way. Guess What The Other Two Did Next?

A group of friends who experienced tragedy on their way to a Cowboy Carter show have sparked a viral debate about what would keep fans from seeing Queen Bey ...
This White Singer Sang This Chaka Khan Iconic Hit and Black Internet Lost Its Mind

This White Singer Sang This Chaka Khan Iconic Hit and Black Internet Lost Its Mind

Once Hayley Williams' clip began to make the rounds on social media, a lot of Black folks had a myriad of reactions! Let's get into it ...
Will Smith Just Brought Up the Chris Rock Oscars Slap And He Doesn't Seem Sorry ...Anymore

Will Smith Just Brought Up the Chris Rock Oscars Slap And He Doesn’t Seem Sorry …Anymore

It looks like the "Fresh Prince" star is feeling a bit differently about it than before and we've got the tea to prove it! ...