Parents of students slain in the April 20 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado are saying they want the doors of the library closed forever. Because it was the central site of the murder rampage that claimed 12, they believe that only a complete relocation of the facility can counteract the horrendous memories the room evokes.
The parents met with Superintendent Jane Hammond June 14 to discuss their concerns, and remodeling the library has been put on hold as a result. The school district’s architectural planning director, Jack Swanzy, said in the June 16 Denver Post that when the school reopens August 16 the library will remain closed.
“I don’t think people have even begun to think about the psychological impact on the kids,” said Linda Mauser, whose son Daniel was one of 10 students killed in the library before the two gunmen committed suicide there. “The parents of the deceased want that library moved,” she said. “A little paint and new carpet isn’t going to heal the wounds.”
Posted June 21, 1999.