Plans for the memorial to remember the eight victims of the Hartford Distributors Inc. were unveiled on Monday.
The plan includes a group of eight stainless steel pillars, one for each person HDI truck driver Omar Thornton killed on Aug. 3, 2010. On the surface of those pillars, the architects will be able to etch poems, memories and thoughts people have about the person who died so tragically, architect Richard Lawrence said. At the top of each will be a time capsule with mementos from each victim's family.
The memorial, which also includes surrounding landscape and a memorial garden, is slated to be completed by August.
It will stand on the beer distributor’s grounds off Chapel Road in Manchester.
Thornton killed eight of his co-workers before turning the gun on himself. He claimed he was a victim of racism at the company, but no evidence of that has been uncovered.
The Rotary Club of Manchester will unveil the plans by the Manchester-based architectural firm The Lawrence Associates and Chris Ferrero of Fuss & O'Neill, Inc. The rotary club and other companies have been holding fundraisers, including beer tastings to raise money to honor the victims. The estimated cost for each pillar is $50,000.
A graphic representation of the garden and memorial pillars will be presented at the Hartford Distributors Memorial picnic and motorcycle ride on May 14 at the Manchester Community College band shell lawn, between noon and 4 p.m.
