St Louis school shooting - live: Suspected gunman identified as former student who graduated last year

Graeme Massie

25 October 2022, 1:08 am·7-min read

The gunman who shot dead a teacher and pupil in St Louis was identified on Monday evening as a former pupil of the city’s Central VPA High School.

Orlando Harris, 19, of St Louis, graduated from the school last year, according to media reports. it is not known if he had any connection to the victims.

A 16-year-old student Alexis Bell was pronounced dead at the scene, while 61-year-old teacher Jean Kirk Kuzcka was shot and died later in hospital.

Jean Kirk Kuzcka, who taught physical education at the school, was gunned down during the violence which took place shortly after 9am at the school in the southern part of the Missouri city.

Eight victims were transported to a hospital for injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to a broken ankle, say reports.

Several students told The St LouisPost-Dispatchthey first thought it was a drill until they heard the principal say the code word for a shooting. Students jumped out of windows of the school building to escape the scene.

One student told the newspaper that she heard the gunman, who she did not recognise, say he was “tired of everybody” at the school.

Key Points

Suspect in shooting identified by authorities
Disturbing videos show police helping terrorised students escape shooting at St Louis high school
Eight shot in St Louis school mass attack as students describe lone gunman who asked: ‘Are you ready to die?’
Devoted PE teacher is identified among the dead at St Louis school shooting
Police say that dead shooter killed one adult and one girl

Suspect ‘may have suffered from mental illness’

07:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Police Commissioner Mike Sack said yesterday after the suspect was shot dead that he may have suffered from mental illness.

Authorities have not ascribed any motive to St Louis shooting so far. But Mr Sack told the press that “there are suspicions that there may have been some mental illness that he was experiencing. We’re working on developing that information right now.”

Orlando Harris, 19, was a former student of the high school and graduated last year. Police said he had no previous criminal history.

Everything we know about St Louis school shooting that left three dead

07:01 , Graeme Massie

The gunman killed an adult female and girl before being fatally shot by responding police officers.

Everything we know about St Louis school shooting that left three dead

St Louis gunman was heard saying he was 'tired of everybody'

06:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The 19-year-old school gunman in St Louis was reportedly overheard saying that he was “tired of everybody” during the attack on Monday morning.

One student told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that she heard the gunman make the comment.

Police have identified the attacker as Orlando Harris, a former student of the Central VPA High School where the attack took place.

A 16-year-old and a 61-year-old teacher died in the shooting, and the gunman was himself shot dead by armed responders.

Eight other victims were taken to hospital with various injuries including gunshot wounds.

School district says shooter was ‘quickly stopped’ by police officers

06:01 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: “Police are on site at Central Visual and Performing Arts this morning following reports of an active shooter and both CVPA and Collegiate are on lockdown. The shooter was quickly stopped by police inside CVPA,” they tweeted as the incident unfolded.

Police are on site at Central Visual and Performing Arts this morning following reports of an active shooter and both CVPA and Collegiate are on lockdown.
The shooter was quickly stopped by police inside CVPA.
We have reports of 2 students injured and on the way to the hospital.
— Saint Louis Public Schools (@SLPS_INFO) October 24, 2022

What is Central Visual and Performing Arts High School?

05:02 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: The school where the shooting took place is a magnet school specialising in visual art, musical art and performing art with about 400 students.

The district website says the school’s “educational program is designed to create a nurturing environment where students receive a quality academic and artistic education that prepares them to compete successfully at the post-secondary level or perform competently in the world of work.”

St Louis Mayor: ‘Help us Jesus'

04:03 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Tishaura Jones took to Twitter as the shooting was unfolding and tweeted “Help us Jesus.”

Help us Jesus.
— Tishaura O. Jones (she/her) (@tishaura) October 24, 2022

Gunman described as ‘slim’ and ‘dressed in black'

03:03 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Officials say that the gunman was a ‘slim’ male in his 20s who was dressed in black. It is not known what, if any, connection the shooter had to the school.

St Louis school shooter who killed teacher and student was former pupil

02:01 , Graeme Massie

The gunman who shot and killed a teacher and student at a St Louis school has been identified as former pupil Orlando Harris, say authorities.

Harris, 19, of St Louis, was himself fatally shot by responding police officers at the city’s Central VPA High School, on Monday morning.

St Louis school shooter identified

Suspect in shooting identified by authorities

01:03 , Graeme Massie

The suspect was identified on Monday evening as Orlando Harris, 19, of St. Louis, according to The St Louis Post-Dispatch.

The newspaper says that he graduated from the school last year.

Family identify woman killed in school shooting

Monday 24 October 2022 22:12 , Graeme Massie

The family of the woman killed in the St Louis shooting have identified her as Jean Kuczka, according to The St Louis Post-Dispatch.

Relatives told the newspaper that Kuczka, 61, was a health and physical education teacher who lived in Dittmer, Missouri.

“My mom loved kids,” her daughter Abigail Kuczka told the newspaper. “She loved her students. I know her students looked at her like she was their mom because a lot of them didn’t have a good home life.”

Police have not said how gunman got into school

Monday 24 October 2022 20:01 , Graeme Massie

St Louis police Chief Michael Sack told reporters that all doors at the school were locked on Monday morning, the metal detectors were active and there were seven security officers on site, reports The St Louis Post-Dispatch.

The police chief said that officers shot and killed the suspect on the building’s third floor.

All St Louis Public Schools on ‘hard lockdown’ for rest of day

Monday 24 October 2022 19:46 , Graeme Massie

George Sells, a spokesman for the district, said that a hard lockdown means “there will be limited movement in and outside the schools” and all buses will leave at their scheduled times.

All after-school classes and athletic activities for the evening have been cancelled as well, reports Fox2.

Law enforcement investigate crime scene

Monday 24 October 2022 19:04 , Graeme Massie

Investigators find gunman’s car

Monday 24 October 2022 18:21 , Graeme Massie

Investigators have found the gunman’s car and are now searching it for evidence, according to KMOV-TV.

FBI officers on scene of shooting

Monday 24 October 2022 17:45 , Graeme Massie

Federal agents are on the scene of the fatal St Louis school shooting.

Agents with the FBI just arrived at Gateway STEM HS where students were taken and parents are arriving to take their children home. @KMOV pic.twitter.com/MwJeKRl3Nm
— Russell Kinsaul (@russellkinsaul) October 24, 2022

Police say that dead shooter killed one adult and one girl

Monday 24 October 2022 17:26 , Graeme Massie

Three dead at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School

Monday 24 October 2022 17:24 , Graeme Massie