ST. LOUIS - More was learned on Tuesday morning at a police briefing about the shooter, 19-year-old Orlando Harris, who opened fire in the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis on Monday and killed a teacher and a student.
Several students were also injured in the shooting and are being treated at St. Louis hospitals. Harris was shot and killed while firing at authorities.
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Mayor Tishaura Jones, SLMPD Interim Police Chief Michael Sack, and St. Louis Public Schools representatives spoke at the event.
Harris shot and killed two individuals - Jean Kuczka, a 61-year-old health teacher at the high school, and 15-year-old student Alexandria Bell. Several others were injured.
Harris described himself as “a loner with no friends” in a note in his vehicle, police said. He graduated from the school last year. Police said Harris had an AR-15-style rifle and more than 600 rounds of ammunition on his person at the time of the shooting.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said the shooting follows similar tragic events across the country and that this is “a national emergency” at every level.
Police discovered in the handwritten note that he spoke about his desire to engage in this school shooting.
The police chief said 600 rounds of ammunition is a lot of ammunition and it could have been a horrific scene without some excellent officers at the scene who followed training protocol and likely saved several lives.
Police said Harris did not enter a checkpoint when going into the school.
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