When violence and trauma visit American places, a complex question follows: Demolish, or press on?

By TED ANTHONY
AP National Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Parkland. Uvalde. Columbine. Sandy Hook. A supermarket in Buffalo. A church in South Carolina. A synagogue in Pittsburgh. When violence comes to a public place, as it does all too often in our era, a delicate question lingers afterward: What should be done with the buildings where blood was shed? This question has been answered differently over the years. In addition to intense emotion, other factors in the decision-making include whether a community can afford to rebuild, and whether the site might be a draw for people sympathetic to the crime that happened there. Ultimately, it’s a community decision that turns out differently in different places.