Just days before a 19-year-old suspected of opening fire inside a St. Louis high school, his family informed police that he had a gun and wanted it removed from the home, according to officials.
Police say that the family of Orlando Harris knew he had mental health struggles and did “everything they possibly could have done” to assist him, including getting him therapy and medication.
“The impression I get from the investigators that spoke to the mother was they did everything they could have done, but sometimes that’s not enough,” interim St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Michael Sack said during a press conference on Wednesday as reported by St. Louis TV station KMOV.
Earlier this month, the suspected shooter’s mother found an AR-15-style rifle in the family’s home. She called the police to have it confiscated. The family “worked with our department to transfer that to an adult who could legally possess one,” Sack said. This incident reportedly occurred on October 15th, just nine days before the deadly shooting spree.
“While it is not yet clear when or how the suspect came to be in possession of the firearm after this incident, we can confirm that the firearm involved in this incident is the firearm used” at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School on Monday, police said Wednesday evening.
NBC News reports that the police chief declined to discuss how Harris entered the building despite locked doors, security and metal detectors. However, he did confirm that the gunman “did have to force entry” into the building.
“I understand that that’s something everybody would like to know, but the reality is every building — a school, a business, a police headquarters — has weaknesses,” Sack said, adding that sharing the specifics of how the shooter entered the school could negatively impact the school district.
Harris left a note, complaining that he led an isolated life and calling his situation the “perfect storm for a mass shooter.”
“I don’t have any friends,” Sack said, quoting Harris. “I don’t have any family. I never had a girlfriend. I never had a social life. I’ve been an isolated loner my entire life.”
He reportedly had more than 600 rounds of ammunition, some strapped to his chest when he forced his way into the school where he was once a student.
One student, 15-year-old Alexandria Bell, and one teacher, 61-year-old Jean Kuczka were killed. Seven students were injured. Harris was killed after an exchange of gunfire with officers.
According to a tracker created by Education Week, there have been 40 school shootings in the U.S. this year that have resulted in injuries or fatalities. The running total for this year is higher than the sum for any year since the database started in 2018.
