Three people have died, including the gunman, after a shooting at a St. Louis high school Monday morning sent multiple people to hospitals, police said.
Chaos broke out shortly after 9 a.m. when authorities learned of a shooter with a long gun inside Central High School for the Visual and Performing Arts. The school and the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience, which is in the same building, were closed.
The shooter, who appears to be in his 20s, was apprehended inside the performing arts school, according to a tweet from the St. Louis Public Schools. He was pronounced dead a short time later after an exchange of gunfire with police, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said during an evening news conference.
People gather outside after a shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022.
People gather outside after a shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis on Monday. Jordan Opp/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP
“While on paper we might have nine victims, eight who were transported and one remained, we have hundreds of others,” Chief Mike Sack said at the news conference. “Everyone who survived here will take home trauma.”
The names of the gunman and the two victims were not released. One of the victims is a woman and the other is a teenager. Both died as a result of gunshot wounds.
Multiple victims remain in hospitals with injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to shrapnel. Police did not release any information about their conditions.
Authorities have not disclosed the shooter’s connection to the school or a motive for the shooting.
Shortly after the shooting, harrowing stories of survival began to emerge, offering a glimpse into the terrifying moments inside the school and the efforts some teachers and students made to escape.
Adrienne Bolden, a freshman at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, said he and his classmates had to jump out a window to escape the attacker.
When she was asked what was going through her mind at the time, she said, “I need to stay alive.”
‘I need to stay alive’: Student describes fleeing St. Louis high school shooting.
Bolden said she initially thought the shooting was an intruder drill, but that changed when she started hearing sirens outside.
“The teacher crawled and was asking for help moving the lockers to the door so they couldn’t get in,” she said.
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Bolden helped his teacher move lockers before attempting to jump out of a classroom window that had concrete on the bottom.
“So, we had to wait a little longer before the assistant principal came over to one of the windows that was locked, and when we opened it, the teacher said to move on and we all had to jump out the window.”
The doors were closed; it is unclear how the gunman got to the school
Sack said the school gates were locked, causing the gunman to stop. He did not clarify how the gunman was able to enter the school.
There were seven security guards active in the school building at the time of the shooting, according to school officials.
Police asked the public to stay away from the area during the investigation. Students were evacuated and parents were directed to Gateway STEM High School to reunite with their children.
The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to the scene.
“At this time, the scene is secure and there is no active threat,” police said in a tweet.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones called the shooting “a devastating and traumatic situation.”
“I am heartbroken for these families who send their children to our schools in the hope that they will be safe,” she 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.”
In a statement, St. Louis Public Schools said all schools in the district have been placed on “full lockdown,” meaning there will be limited movement in and out of schools until the closure.
“Counselors are on site and will continue to serve students, staff and families for as long as needed,” the district said. “Administrators and counselors are meeting with families.”
All extracurricular activities are canceled on Monday night, according to the statement.
Source: https://wikisoon.com/
