by A The shooting at a St. Louis magnet high school has left two dead and six others injured, local authorities said during a news conference Monday morning. The suspected gunman, believed to be in his 20s, died after a shootout with police.
The victims have not been identified, but a teenage girl and a woman were killed. Victims taken to hospital had injuries ranging from shrapnel wounds to cardiac arrest.
Police officers were tipped off to the shooting shortly after 9 a.m. as hundreds of students, faculty and staff members fled Central High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, located on the south side of St. Louis.
“I am heartbroken for these families who send their children to our schools in the hope that they are safe,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said at the news conference. “Our kids shouldn’t have to experience this, they shouldn’t have to go through active shooter drills in case something happens. And unfortunately that happened today.”
Police investigate the scene of a shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022.
Jeff Roberson—AP
What happened?
Around 9:10 am, a gunman was reported at the Central High School for Visual and Performing Arts. Security guards at the scene quickly noticed the shooter, who was allegedly armed with a long gun, struggling to enter through the closed doors of the school. The principal warned the students over the loudspeaker that there was an active shooter on the scene.
It’s unclear how the gunman was able to get into the school.
Officers arrived at the school within minutes and ran at the sound of gunshots, police said. They exchanged fire with the shooter, who was killed.
At 9:30 am, the school was blocked by police, ambulances and a SWAT van, the St. Louis. Post Shipment reports.
Police said the threat to the school is over, although the investigation unit is on the scene and will conduct a more extensive examination and interview the students in the coming days.
What do we know about the suspect?
Lt. Col. Michael Sack, St. Louis’s acting police commissioner, says the suspect has not yet been identified. Authorities believe he is 20 years old.
Although the shooter’s connection to the school is unknown, Taniya Gholston, a 16-year-old student at Central High School for Visual and Performing Arts, told the Post Shipment that the shooter said something to the effect of being “sick of this damn school.”
Police believe they have located the suspect’s vehicle, which will be searched after bomb dogs search it.
What do we know about the victims?
Eight people were transported to local hospitals, of which an adult female has since been pronounced dead.
Police also said a teenage girl who was shot to death remains at the crime scene at the school. The identities of the victims have not been shared publicly.
Police have not shared the occupation of the adult woman who died and are waiting for relatives to confirm her relationship to the school.
Others continue to receive treatment, but there are no updates on their conditions.
Parents were told to meet their children at Gateway Stem High School.
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