St. Louis school shooter’s family sought mental health treatment for him and had his gun taken away, police said. Yet tragedy still unfolded

[Scott]

 

When family members of 19-year-old Orlando Harris grew concerned about his mental health, they seemed to do everything right, the St. Louis police commissioner said.

“They contacted us, said that he had a firearm,” Commissioner Michael Sack said Wednesday.

“The mother at the time wanted it out of the house,” he said. “The officers, in their response, handed it over to somebody else, an adult who was lawfully able to possess it.”

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/26/us/st-louis-school-shooting-wednesday/index.html

 

 

[lopburi3]

Normally reporting includes photos of victims (and shooter).  Have not found that to be the case in any report of this incident.  In fact one news source reported being forbidden to use photo or name of shooter.  It is available on Google.

 

The gun used appears to have been in police control months ago but given back to an un-named "adult".  A whole other subject that needs attention IMHO,

 

Appears there are a lot of questions that need answers in this latest tragedy.  Lets hope they do not circle the wagons - like in Texas.

 

 

 

[Scott]

1 minute ago, lopburi3 said:

Normally reporting includes photos of victims (and shooter).  Have not found that to be the case in any report of this incident.  In fact one news source reported being forbidden to use photo or name of shooter.  It is available on Google.

 

The gun used appears to have been in police control months ago but given back to an un-named "adult".  A whole other subject that needs attention IMHO,

 

Appears there are a lot of questions that need answers in this latest tragedy.  Lets hope they do not circle the wagons - like in Texas.

 

Here is a photo of him from his yearbook:

[Bluespunk]

“The Saint Louis Public Schools district is planning to add gun safety to its curriculum, Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams said.”

Let’s hope the government adds banning ownership of the type of weapon used in this tragedy to its curriculum. 

[riclag]

Another disturbed youngster who slipped through the school and law enforcement cracks like some others have in similar acts of school terror. 

In his note, Harris complained about not having friends, family or a girlfriend.

“I’ve never had a social life. I’ve been an isolated loner my entire life,” Harris wrote.

Harris reportedly screamed, “You’re all going to f—ing die!” and said he was “tired of this damn school” as he launched his deadly attack.

https://nypost.com/2022/10/25/st-louis-shooter-orlando-harris-pictured-in-eerie-yearbook-photo/

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/08/el-paso-shooting-when-loneliness-leads-mass-murder/595498/

Edited October 27, 2022 by riclag

[Credo]

6 hours ago, riclag said:

Another disturbed youngster who slipped through the school and law enforcement cracks like some others have in similar acts of school terror. 

In his note, Harris complained about not having friends, family or a girlfriend.

“I’ve never had a social life. I’ve been an isolated loner my entire life,” Harris wrote.

Harris reportedly screamed, “You’re all going to f—ing die!” and said he was “tired of this damn school” as he launched his deadly attack.

https://nypost.com/2022/10/25/st-louis-shooter-orlando-harris-pictured-in-eerie-yearbook-photo/

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/08/el-paso-shooting-when-loneliness-leads-mass-murder/595498/

No, he didn't slip through the cracks.  The gun was taken away and given to someone who apparently gave it back or failed to secure it properly.   That gun should have been held by the police.   

 

In situations like this, the immediate thing is to remove anything that they can easily use to hurt themselves and others.   The mental health issues that need to be addressed are more long term.   

 

As long as they allow that type of weapon to be legal, these shootings will occur.  

 

 

[riclag]

Mental health played a big factor but lots of disputing facts here . He was legally permitted to have the gun.

Police should of held onto that gun instead of letting a “ third party” hold on to it  imop

“Sack also told reporters that Harris had been seeing mental health professionals and that his family had him committed several times”.

 

https://nypost.com/2022/10/27/family-tried-to-take-gun-from-st-louis-shooter-orlando-harris/

[Credo]

7 minutes ago, riclag said:

Mental health played a big factor but lots of disputing facts here . He was legally permitted to have the gun.

Police should of held onto that gun instead of letting a “ third party” hold on to it  imop

“Sack also told reporters that Harris had been seeing mental health professionals and that his family had him committed several times”.

 

https://nypost.com/2022/10/27/family-tried-to-take-gun-from-st-louis-shooter-orlando-harris/

The point is that this weapon should have been removed completely and been kept by the police.  I realize that hindsight is 50/50, but leaving the gun in a situation where he could gain access to it was less than responsible.   I wonder if it was even legal for a person with a history of mental health issues and hospitalizations for them should/could even legally purchase or own a gun.   

 

This is a prime situation for intervention by some legal entity other than the police.  The police don't have the training to deal with a situation like this and they shouldn't be put the position to have to.   There are some definite red flags here:

 

First, he is a teenager.   At his age, there is a much greater risk of engaging in risky behavior.

Second, he had a long history of mental issues.

Third, he was a loner and that's a definite risk factor.

Finally, he had purchased a particularly lethal weapon.   

 

The police answering a call may not be able to put the pieces together, but almost any mental health professional will hear alarm bells going off.   I suspect a mental health person would have had the kid committed for evaluation at a minimum.   

 

 

[candide]

29 minutes ago, riclag said:

Mental health played a big factor but lots of disputing facts here . He was legally permitted to have the gun.

Police should of held onto that gun instead of letting a “ third party” hold on to it  imop

“Sack also told reporters that Harris had been seeing mental health professionals and that his family had him committed several times”.

 

https://nypost.com/2022/10/27/family-tried-to-take-gun-from-st-louis-shooter-orlando-harris/

He was permitted to have a gun. Not surprising knowing the recent law introduced by the TOP in this state.

"In 2021, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed the Second Amendment Preservation Act into law, which states "that all federal acts, laws, executive orders, administrative orders... and regulations, whether past, present or future that infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution... of the Missouri Constitution must be invalid in this state."

https://abcnews.go.com/US/missouris-gun-laws-wake-st-louis-school-shooting/story?id=92140341

 

You reap what you sow, Parson.

 

[Bluespunk]

50 minutes ago, candide said:

You reap what you sow, Parson.

Well, others reap what he sowed.

[candide]

2 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Well, others reap what he sowed.

That's more accurate.

[Scott]

St. Louis school shooter was flagged in FBI background check but was still able to legally purchase a gun, police say

The gunman who killed two people and wounded several others in a school shooting in St. Louis, Missouri, on Monday was flagged by an FBI background check but was still able to purchase the AR-15-style rifle he used in the attack from a private seller, police said.

When 19-year-old Orlando Harris first tried to purchase a gun from a licensed dealer, the background check blocked the sale, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Sgt. Charles Wall said Thursday. But Harris could still legally buy the rifle from a private individual who had bought the firearm from a licensed dealer in 2020, Wall said.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/28/us/st-louis-school-shooting-friday/index.html