The tragic shooting that took place in St.Louis, Missouri took the lives of three people, according to the latest report. The shooting took place on Monday when a shooter entered the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School with an AR-15-style rifle, over 600 rounds of ammunition, and a dozen high-capacity magazines. The shooter was later identified to be a 19-year-old boy who was named Orlando Harris. Harris was a former student of the school which became the ground for his violent attack. The St.Louis police confirmed that Orlando Harris who was responsible for the death of three people and injuring several others had at the hospital after a gun battle with the officers.
Who was Orlando Harris?
Not much information is known about the shooter at present. The police have only given out limited information regarding who he was or what was the motive that drove him to commit the merciless act. According to the reports and information from the police, 19-year-old Orlando Harris drove a car to the high school for his cruel act.
A notebook with scribblings from the shooter was recovered by the police from the car he drove to the school. The book had different messages like “I don’t have any friends, I don’t have any family,” it read. “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 for a mass shooter.”
The messages recovered from the notebook left by Harris leave a question about his mental state of Harris which prompted him to commit the act. It could be implied that Harris was living a tragic lonely life and was struggling mentally. According to a representative of the Archdiocese of St. Luis, Harris was working as a part-time food services worker at Cardinal Ritter Senior Service since 2019.
After the attack took place, his home at the 7000 block of Pennsylvania was searched by the police and federal agent. No one answered the home on that day or the next day to shooting. The police suspect whether Harris lived alone or with somebody. As per the information from the police, Orlando Harris does not have any previous criminal records. The police chief Michel Sack also made it clear that there were no details regarding any possible chance of juvenile record as that information is off limits for police.
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While there is some mystery regarding the mental state of the shooter Orlando Harris, one of his previous teachers recalls that Orlando was a normal boy who used to be very helpful, friendly, and outgoing. As per the descriptions of Lauren Ogundipe, who is the theater director and teacher of theater arts at the school, Orlando Harris was a student who had a very good relationship with his teachers and fellow students. According to her words, “He would laugh and joke with members of his graduating class.” “He would talk with different teachers, he would talk about his school life — he didn’t really talk about his home life. He would talk about girls he was interested in.” She also added that “He was helpful. He showed himself as a helpful servant of the school. If something was needed, a skill he’d obtained in the arts, he showed himself as ready, willing, and able to lend a hand.”
The police say that the victims of his attack was not targeted and could be possibly random. There are also reports from a survivor who said that she heard Orlando Harris saying that ‘he was tired of everyone in this school’. The police are also still not sure how Harris got hold of the gun and the remaining ammunition that he possessed.
The Victims
The incident resulted in three deaths, including the shooter Orlando Harris. The other two victims who were identified are a teacher who worked at the school and a teenage student.
Jean Kuczka taught health and physical education at the school. Kacy Seals-Shahid, who has worked as the principal of the school for more than eight years remembers Mrs. Kuczka as a very committed teacher who used to travel more than 40 miles each day to her job. The principal also told that Mrs. Kuczka was the only teacher who never complained about anything. She was loved by students and she loved the students too. In her school bio, it is written that “I love teaching health and physical education and guiding students to make wise decisions.”Jean Kuczka was 61 years old.
The second victim of Orlando Harris was 15-year-old Alexzandria Bell, who is described as a very charismatic student by her teachers. Miss Bell majored in dance at the school and she was a popular kid in the school. The principal also recalled some good moments she had with Alexandria during the recent homecoming dance, where both of them joked around saying how Alexzandria looked like her.
There are several other students got injured during the attack. The school had been closed down and the authorities announced that the classes will continue online. It is expected to take at least two months for the school to return to its old state in order to start offline classes. The officers who acted accordingly to avoid a large casualty are also widely commended by officials and the public. No police officer was harmed during the entire operation.