NICKEL MINES, Pa. -- A demolition crew and members of the Amish community got to work in the dark early Thursday morning, tearing down the Amish schoolhouse where a gunman shot 10 girls, killing five of them, last week.
It's now just a bare patch of earth where the schoolhouse once stood in the Lancaster County, Pa., community of Nickel Mines, Pa.
Twenty to 30 people, most of them Amish, gathered to watch as the schoolhouse was leveled. One Amish man shook his head no when asked if he would comment.
Heavy equipment moved in on the schoolhouse itself while Amish men tore down a fence that once surrounded the schoolyard.
Members of the community hope the demolition will help the healing process in the tightknit community.
The remnants of the building will be hauled away to a landfill. The location is not being revealed over concerns that some people might try to collect pieces.
After the school is gone, soil will be brought in to turn what was once a school and schoolyard back into a field. A new school will be built somewhere nearby.
Media was kept about a quarter of a mile away from the scene as work progressed.
Schoolhouse Was Already Drawing Gawkers
Hundreds of onlookers had been driving through Nickel Mines to see the schoolhouse.
A constable was stationed at the school earlier this week. He said he would arrest people who stopped their vehicles along White Oak Road or walked on the school property.
Some of the crews working to demolish the school said they are very happy to see the school come down. Some said they wished they had done it last week.
Classes are resuming this week at a makeshift schoolhouse in a garage on an Amish farm in the Nickel Mines area.
An Amish man said that the children who once attended the school are continuing their education. He said he also hopes that the day's demolition will help his community move on.
The five girls wounded in the shooting are all still believed to be hospitalized. The hospitals are no longer providing information about the girls at the request of their families.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops