“I’ve been an isolated loner my entire life. This was the perfect storm for a mass shooting.”
Those are the words of 19-year-old Orlando Harris, a former student who opened fire in Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis on Monday.
During a press briefing Tuesday, police read from the document Harris had written. Harris had detailed his lack of friends and romantic relationships in a handwritten note.
“If you're aware of an individual who appears to be suffering from some kind of mental illness or distress, and they begin speaking about purchasing firearms or causing harm to others, we encourage you to reach out to somebody and to report that so that we can get help to that individual,” Lt. Colonel Michael Sack said on Tuesday. “It's important that all of us be engaged so that we can try to intercede as early as possible in a person's life, to try and prevent a tragedy from occurring.”
Sack said police had no new information on the status of the victims who were transported to the hospital, but would keep the public updated as they’re released. The two people who were killed have been identified as P.E. teacher Jean Kuczka, 61, and Alexandria Bell, 15.
Police shared images of the weapon Harris used – an AR-15 style rifle. They said that in addition to the rifle, he had fifteen magazines of ammunition on him, plus many that he dropped in the hallways and on staircases. Police said he had around 600 rounds of ammunition with him.
He apparently bought the weapon from a private dealer. Private dealers have some loopholes that allow them to skirt some existing laws, which means that Harris may not have had to undergo a background check before purchasing the assault rifle.
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