Here’s what the memorial for the victims of the Parkland school shooting will look like

The final design for a permanent memorial honoring the lives of the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting has been chosen.

The Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit founded by victims’ families, first responders and local community members, announced Tuesday it selected a circular design by Gordon Huether, an artist from Napa, California, for the memorial, which will be located in a serene 150-acre nature preserve between Parkland and Coral Springs. Huether was one of six finalists, including design firms and artists from New York, Fort Lauderdale and West Virginia.

Next Friday marks seven years since a former student shot and killed 14 students and three school staffers at the high school and injured 17 others.

The nonprofit, which formed in 2021, launched a nationwide call for artists to submit design proposals in 2023. The finalists’ designs were reviewed by the foundation board, which also received feedback on the designs from the public through an online survey.

“Our decision was not an easy one, so many of the designs submitted really captured the essence of what this Memorial should represent,” said Tony Montalto, the foundation vice chairman and father of Gina Montalto, a student killed in the shooting. “The public input is very much appreciated. Now we move on to the fundraising and construction stage so we can have a public place to remember and reflect on those who were taken far too soon from our families and our community.”

The design features a central fountain and seating surrounded by 17 limestone obelisks, each one displaying a victim’s name. White circular structures with laser cutout designs will provide shade and cast unique shadows as the sun moves throughout the day. The memorial will be surrounded by 17 royal palm leaves and a poem will be engraved into the surface of the plaza.

Now that a design has been selected, the nonprofit is focusing on fundraising for the construction, Parkland 17 Foundation chair Michael Moser told the Herald. While there isn’t yet an exact timeline, the group hopes that construction will take about 18 months to complete once it begins, he said.

Huether said in a statement that he is humbled by the board’s support of his design.

“We believe this memorial will be a place where friends, families and the community can come together to honor and remember those lives taken in this senseless tragedy,” Huether said. “This Memorial is not only inspired by love for the victims, their families and the Parkland community but is also inspired by the beautiful site on which the memorial is planned to be located.”

This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 8:10 PM.