Central Visual and Performing Arts High School shooting

Last updated

Central Visual and Performing Arts High School shooting
Part of mass shootings in the United States
USA Missouri location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of shooting
Location of shooting (Missouri)
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of shooting
Location of shooting (the United States)
LocationCentral Visual and Performing Arts High School,
3125 S Kingshighway Blvd
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Coordinates 38°36′17″N90°16′15″W / 38.6046°N 90.2709°W / 38.6046; -90.2709 Coordinates: 38°36′17″N90°16′15″W / 38.6046°N 90.2709°W / 38.6046; -90.2709
DateOctober 24, 2022 (2022-10-24)
9:11 – 9:25 a.m. (CDT)
Attack type
Mass shooting, school shooting, shootout
Weapon Palmetto State Armory AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle [1] [2]
Deaths3 (including the perpetrator)
Injured7 (4 by gunfire)
PerpetratorOrlando Harris

On October 24, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in the Southwest Garden section of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Three people were killed, including the perpetrator, and an additional seven were injured. [3] Authorities identified 19-year-old former student Orlando Harris as the perpetrator. [4]

Contents

Background

Central Visual and Performing Arts High School uses the code word "Miles Davis is in the building" to alert students and staff of an active shooter in the building. [3] The school also has several metal detectors, and seven security guards were present on the day of the shooting. [3] [5]

Missouri does not have a red flag law which permits a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who they believe may present a danger to others or themselves. [6] [7]

Shooting

On October 24, 2022, shortly before the incident, Harris parked his blue 2012 Dodge Avenger near the building before entering the school via a side entryway, walking up to the third floor. Harris was armed with an AR-15 style rifle, more than 600 rounds of ammunition, and about a dozen 30-round magazines. Wearing all black clothing, Harris forcibly made entry by shooting a glass door before opening fire inside the school on the fourth floor. [1] [2] [3] [8] At 9:11 a.m., police received the first call regarding an active shooter threat at the school. [9] School security officers were credited with identifying Harris's intentions and warning others to allow for authorities to be notified. [10]

One witness said Harris shot the windows of his classroom out, then shouted "You're all going to fucking die" before he attempted to enter their room. At one point, Harris entered a dance class intent on opening fire, but his firearm malfunctioned, allowing occupants to escape. Evacuating students and staff were questioned by responding officers to pinpoint where Harris was located and also followed the sounds of gunfire. [10] Police entered the building at 9:15 a.m., ordered Harris to put his hands up, and subsequently exchanged gunfire with him eight minutes later. After a brief shootout, at 9:25 a.m., Harris was struck and killed. No officers were injured. [11]

During the shooting, students attending Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience, which shares the building with Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, were placed under lockdown. [12] Students were evacuated to the nearby Gateway STEM High School. [8]

Victims

Two people were killed by the gunman: 15-year-old sophomore Alexzandria Bell, who was pronounced dead on the scene, and 61-year-old physical education teacher Jean Kuczka, who died at a hospital. [13] In addition to the fatalities, seven people were injured, four from gunshots and three from physical injuries caused by the ensuing chaos and evacuation. One injured victim was shot twice and jumped out a second-story window, breaking his ankle. [14] [15]

Investigation

St. Louis police and federal authorities from the FBI and ATF worked together to search both the school, home and car of the perpetrator to identify a motive. The FBI created a digital evidence collection website where they have asked anyone with photos, video, audio or any other evidence to upload it to aid in the investigation. [16]

After the incident, Harris was described by some who knew him in school as often lonely or quiet, but students in his drama classes said he was outgoing and friendly. Harris left a note inside of his car containing a list of school shootings, school shooters, and death tolls of the incidents. In the note, he stated that he wanted to be the “next national school shooter.” He wrote: “I don’t have any friends, I don’t have any family, I’ve never had a girlfriend, I’ve never had a social life. I’ve been an isolated loner my entire life. This was the perfect storm of a mass shooter.” [3] A map of the school was also found in the car, showing the attack had been planned. [16] [10]

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was identified by authorities as Orlando Harris, a 19-year-old male, of Carondelet, St. Louis. Harris had graduated from the school a year prior and had no adult criminal record. [3] Harris struggled with mental health issues. [17] [18] Harris' family sought mental health treatment for Harris and had at times committed Harris to a mental institution. [18] [19]

On October 8, 2022, Harris attempted to purchase a weapon from a licensed dealer in St. Charles, Missouri, but was denied because of a failed FBI background check. [6] [17] [18] Harris then purchased the AR-15 style rifle used in the shooting from a private individual. [6] [17] [18] No law prevented the private sale. [17] [18] [20]

On October 15, Harris' mother called 9-1-1 to report that Harris had the rifle and requested that police remove the rifle. [17] [18] [20] Responding police determined Harris was lawfully allowed to possess the rifle. Police confiscated the rifle from Harris and handed it to an adult who was lawfully permitted to carry it. [18] [20] [21]

Reactions

The White House called it "another school shooting," stated "our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this senseless violence," and renewed calls for an assault weapons ban. [22] [23] President Joe Biden posted on Twitter, writing "Jill and I are thinking of everyone impacted by the senseless shooting in St. Louis – especially those killed and injured, their families, and the first responders. As we mourn with Central Visual and Performing Arts, we must take action – starting by banning assault weapons." [24] United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona condemned the shooting, calling it a "senseless act of violence". [25]

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones called the event "a devastating and traumatic situation", tweeting "Help us Jesus" following the shooting. [25] On October 27, the area held a Gun Violence and School Safety town hall at the St. Louis Community College which was hosted by Representative Cori Bush, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis Public Safety Director Daniel Isom, with some participation seen by Congressman Jamaal Bowman who serves as Vice Chair on the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor. [26]

The St. Louis Blues would hold two moments of silence, the first being in Winnipeg during their game against the Winnipeg Jets, and the second one during their home game against the Edmonton Oilers. [27] As a result of the shooting, the school along with Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience had been closed for a week. [28]

The editorial board of The Washington Post wrote that Missouri is "notorious for having some of the weakest gun laws in the nation" and asked, "How many more school shootings need to happen before Missouri wakes up? How many more before Congress enacts a national assault weapons ban and requires universal background checks?" [29] An opinion piece at the Philadelphia Inquirer contrasted law enforcement responses to this shooting, with that of Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the latter having widely been perceived as inept. [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School shooting</span> Event in which gun violence happens at a school

A school shooting is an armed attack at an educational institution, such as a primary school, secondary school, high school or university, involving the use of a firearm. Many school shootings are also categorized as mass shootings due to multiple casualties. The phenomenon is most widespread in the United States, which has the highest number of school-related shootings, although school shootings have taken place elsewhere in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reynolds High School (Troutdale, Oregon)</span> Public school in Troutdale, , Oregon, United States

Reynolds High School is the only public high school in Troutdale, Oregon, United States, in the northeastern part of the Portland metropolitan area. It is part of the Reynolds School District, and is the second-largest high school in Oregon.

The Platte Canyon High School hostage crisis was a hostage taking and shooting at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado, on September 27, 2006. The gunman, 53-year-old Duane Roger Morrison, took seven female students hostage and sexually assaulted them, later releasing four. When police broke open the classroom's door with explosives, Morrison opened fire with a semi-automatic pistol before shooting hostage Emily Keyes in the head. The other remaining hostages escaped unharmed, and paramedics confirmed that Morrison had committed suicide shortly before police were able to enter the classroom. Keyes was pronounced dead at 4:32 p.m. MDT at Saint Anthony's Hospital in Denver, Colorado after undergoing emergency surgery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Santa Monica shooting</span> Shooting spree in Santa Monica, California

On June 7, 2013, a killing spree by a lone shooter occurred in Santa Monica, California. Its catalyst was a domestic dispute and subsequent fire at a home, followed by a series of shootings near and on the Santa Monica College campus. Six people were killed, including the suspect, and four injured. The shooter — 23-year-old John Zawahri — was killed by police officers when he exchanged gunfire with them at the Santa Monica College library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Navy Yard shooting</span> Mass shooting in Washington, D.C.

The Washington Navy Yard shooting occurred on September 16, 2013, when 34-year-old Aaron Alexis fatally shot 12 people and injured three others in a mass shooting at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) inside the Washington Navy Yard in southeast Washington, D.C. The attack took place in the Navy Yard's Building 197; it began around 8:16 a.m. EDT and ended when police killed Alexis around 9:25 a.m. It was the second-deadliest mass murder on a U.S. military base, behind the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoneman Douglas High School shooting</span> 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, US

On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Miami suburban town of Parkland, Florida, murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others. Cruz, a former student at the school, fled the scene on foot by blending in with other students, and was arrested without incident approximately one hour later in nearby Coral Springs. Police and prosecutors investigated "a pattern of disciplinary issues and unnerving behavior".

On April 22, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at a Waffle House restaurant in the Antioch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, United States, when 29-year-old Travis Jeffrey Reinking fatally shot four people and injured two others with an AR-15 style rifle. Another two people were injured by broken glass. Reinking was rushed by an unarmed customer, James Shaw Jr., who wrestled the rifle away and stopped the shooting spree. Reinking was captured on April 23, ending a 34-hour manhunt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting</span> Mass shooting in Gilroy, California

On July 28, 2019, a mass shooting occurred at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California. The gunman killed three people and wounded 17 others before killing himself after a shootout with responding police officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbine effect</span> Legacy of the 1999 Columbine massacre

The Columbine effect is the legacy and impact of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. The shooting has had an effect on school safety, policing tactics, prevention methods, and inspired numerous copycat crimes, with many killers taking their inspiration from Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold by describing the two perpetrators as being martyrs or heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Dayton shooting</span> Mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio

On August 4, 2019, 24-year-old Connor Betts shot and killed nine people, including his transgender brother, and wounded 17 others near the entrance of the Ned Peppers Bar in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio. Betts was fatally shot by responding police officers 32 seconds after the first shots were fired. A total of 27 people were taken to area hospitals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saugus High School shooting</span> 2019 mass shooting in Santa Clarita, California, USA

On November 14, 2019, at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, United States, a school shooting occurred when a student with a pistol, identified as 16-year-old Nathaniel Berhow, shot five schoolmates, killing two, before killing himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Boulder shooting</span> Mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado

On March 22, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at a King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Ten people were killed, including a local on-duty police officer. The alleged shooter, 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Al-Issa, was arrested after being shot in the right leg. He was temporarily hospitalized before being moved to the county jail. After undergoing mental evaluations during the legal proceedings, Al-Issa was found mentally incompetent to stand trial in December 2021 and in April 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collierville Kroger shooting</span> Mass shooting in Collierville, Tennessee

The Collierville Kroger shooting was a mass shooting that occurred on September 23, 2021, at a Kroger grocery store in Collierville, Tennessee. One person was killed and 13 others were injured before the gunman, identified as 29-year-old Uk Thang, committed suicide by gunshot. Thang was working at the store as a third-party vendor. It was the second shooting in 2021 to occur at a Kroger-owned property; the first occurred at a King Soopers store in Boulder, Colorado, in March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robb Elementary School shooting</span> 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, US

On May 24, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, United States, where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, a former student at the school, fatally shot nineteen students and two teachers, and wounded seventeen others. Earlier that day, he shot his grandmother in the face at home, severely wounding her. He fired shots for approximately five minutes outside the school, before entering unobstructed with an AR-15 style rifle through an unlocked side entrance door. He then shut himself inside two adjoining classrooms, without locking the classroom door, killed the victims, and remained in the school for more than an hour before members of the United States Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) fatally shot him after they bypassed numerous local and state officers who had been in the school's hallways for over an hour. The shooting is the third-deadliest school shooting in the United States, after the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, and the deadliest in Texas. It was the third deadliest shooting in modern Texas history, after the Killeen Luby's shooting and Sutherland Springs shooting, which took place at a diner and church respectively.

On June 1, 2022, Michael Louis opened fire in the Natalie Building, part of the Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. He killed four people, three of whom were hospital staff, and injured an unspecified number of others before committing suicide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Park parade shooting</span> Mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois

On July 4, 2022, a mass shooting occurred during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, United States. The shooting occurred at 10:14 a.m. CDT (UTC−05:00), roughly 15 minutes after the parade had started. Seven people were killed, and 48 others were wounded by bullets or shrapnel.

References

  1. 1 2 Phillips, Michael; Salter, Jim (October 25, 2022). "School gunman had AR-15-style weapon, 600 rounds of ammo". Associated Press .
  2. 1 2 Shapiro, Emily (October 25, 2022). "St. Louis school shooting suspect had AR-15-style rifle, 600 rounds of ammunition: Police". ABC News .
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fisher, Jenna; Tumin, Remy; Diaz, Johnny; Bosman, Julie (October 24, 2022). "Teen and Woman Killed in Shooting at St. Louis High School". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2022. The gunman had a dozen 30-round high capacity magazines with him, Colonel Sack added.
  4. Phillis, Michael; Salter, Jim (October 24, 2022). "2 killed in shooting at St. Louis high school; gunman dead". Associated Press. Retrieved October 24, 2022. Harris had nearly a dozen high-capacity magazines of ammunition with him, Sack said.
  5. Gorman, Steve (October 24, 2022). "St. Louis High School Shooting Leaves Three Dead, Including Suspect". Reuters .
  6. 1 2 3 Wolfe, Elizabeth; Razek, Raja (October 28, 2022). "St. Louis school shooter was flagged in FBI background check but was still able to legally purchase a gun, police say". CNN .
  7. Schneider, Joey (October 29, 2022). "Missouri doesn't have a red flag law, renewed legislation aims to change that". St. Louis, Missouri: KTVI. Fox 2 News.
  8. 1 2 Watts, Amanda; Murphy, Paul; Alvarado, Caroll; Almasy, Steve (October 24, 2022). "Gunman who killed 61-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl at a St. Louis school brought a long gun and 12 magazines, police say". CNN. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  9. Lippmann, Rachel; Grumke, Kate; Schmid, Eric; Edgell, Holly (October 24, 2022). "Teacher, student killed in shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts, gunman dead". KWMU. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 Salahieh, Nouran (October 25, 2022). "St. Louis police made entry about 4 minutes after a school shooter with high-capacity magazines opened fire". CNN. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  11. Balingit, Moriah; Shammas, Brittany (October 24, 2022). "Gunman kills two at St. Louis high school and dies after gunfight, police say". The Washington Post.
  12. Alsharif, Mirna (October 24, 2022). "Three dead, including gunman, after shooting at St. Louis high school, officials say". NBC News. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  13. Carson, Kim Bell, Dana Rieck, Jesse Bogan, David. "Teacher and teen killed in shooting at south St. Louis high school. Suspect is dead". STLtoday.com. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  14. "2 killed, including teacher, in shooting at St. Louis high school; gunman also killed". CBS News. October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022. The individual had almost a dozen 30-round, high-capacity magazines on him.
  15. Yan, Holly; Riess, Rebekah; Salahieh, Nouran (October 25, 2022). "St. Louis school shooter had an AR-15-style rifle, 600 rounds of ammo and a note saying 'I don't have any friends. I don't have any family,' police say". CNN . Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  16. 1 2 Banker, Andy; Regnier, Chris (October 25, 2022). "FBI searches for motive in CVPA High School shooting". FOX 2. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 Salcedo, Andrea (October 28, 2022). "FBI blocked St. Louis shooter from obtaining gun, police say". The Washington Post .
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Salter, Jim (October 27, 2022). "FBI background check blocked gun sale to St. Louis shooter". ABC News. Associated Press .
  19. Salahieh, Nouran; Yan, Holly; Riess, Rebekah (October 26, 2022). "St. Louis school shooter's family sought mental health treatment for him and had his gun taken away, police said. Yet tragedy still unfolded". CNN .
  20. 1 2 3 Salahieh, Nouran; Riess, Rebekah (October 27, 2022). "Rifle used in the St. Louis school shooting had been taken from the gunman about a week before the attack, police say". CNN .
  21. Salcedo, Andrea (October 27, 2022). "St. Louis shooter had rifle taken away days before rampage, police say". The Washington Post .
  22. The White House (October 24, 2022). "Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre". The White House. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  23. Falconer, Rebecca (October 24, 2022). "White House renews assault weapons ban call after St. Louis school shooting". Axios.
  24. Biden, Joe. "@POTUS: "Jill and I are thinking of everyone impacted by the senseless shooting in St. Louis – especially those killed and injured, their families, and the first responders. As we mourn with Central Visual and Performing Arts, we must take action – starting by banning assault weapons."". Twitter. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  25. 1 2 "Two shot dead at St Louis school as White House condemns 'senseless violence'". The Guardian. October 24, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  26. Harris, Taylor Tiamoyo (October 27, 2022). "St. Louis student: 'It should not have taken my school' to push gun safety". STLtoday.com. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  27. "Blues hold moment of silence for St. Louis school shooting victims". STLtoday.com. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  28. Johnston, Amir Vera,Chuck (October 30, 2022). "2 St. Louis schools will remain closed 1 week after a teacher and student died in shooting". CNN. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  29. Editorial Board (October 29, 2022). "THE POST'S VIEW Opinion: The St. Louis school shooting is a case study in gun-law dysfunction". The Washington Post .
  30. Bunch, Will. "Why St. Louis hero teacher Jean Kuczka did what 376 Uvalde cops couldn't | Opinion". inquirer.com. Retrieved November 2, 2022.