It was a tragic Monday morning at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Missouri when a gunman shot dead a 16-year-old teen and a 61-year-old teacher. Seven other teenagers were also shot. Reports have confirmed that they are confined in a hospital and that all are stable.
The suspect was identified as Orlando Harris. The 19-year-old killer was a previous student of the school who graduated in 2021. According to police, Harris did not have a criminal record. They are currently investigating whether he had psychiatric problems.
According to reports, the police received a call for help at around 9:10 am. Police Commissioner Mike Sack said that upon arriving, students were scrambling out of the building, jumping out of windows, and running from an assailant with a gun. Fifteen minutes later, the police shot Harris dead.
The school doors were locked, metal detectors were in place, and there were security officers in the building, but police did not say how Harris was able to enter the school. Math teacher David Williams shared his experience. According to him, Harris tried to open the door. After three shots, the assailant shouted, “You are all going to f**king die.” More shots were heard and one bullet went through his classroom window.
The school principal was able to alert the whole school about the incident before it escalated into something even worse. Assigned security officers were also able to quickly respond.
Officer Sack said that Harris was carrying hundreds of bullets loaded in several high-capacity magazines. The situation could have been worse if the long gun did not malfunction during the attack.
As has been well reported, gun violence has been a prevalent issue in the US. According to Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, “It is preventable, and we should never, ever allow that to be something we just should have to live with.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed sympathy to those affected by the incident. She and the Biden administration also continuously demand for action to “stop the scourge of gun violence.”