Memorial to Parkland shooting victims burned to the ground in symbolic gesture

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) - A wooden temple built as a memorial to the 17 victims of a Florida high school mass shooting has been set ablaze in a symbolic gesture of healing.

The "Temple of Time" public art installation was set afire Sunday at a ceremony hosted by the cities of Parkland and Coral Springs, where Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students live. 

The families of several Parkland victims attended the ritual burning of the 35-foot (10-meter) tall temple. Described as "therapeutic" by some, the ceremonial fire is supposed to symbolize the release of pain still left inside.

San Francisco-area artist David Best created the 1,600-square-foot (150-square-meter) Asian design with a spire roof, helped by several volunteers.

A lone gunman's attack killed 17 students and staffers and injured 17 others on Feb. 14, 2018.