Three People Confirmed Deceased And Multiple Students Injured Following Mass Shooting At St. Louis High School, Gunman Heard Saying’ “ I’m Tired Of This School”

Cousins! Tragedy striked early Monday mourning as a 19 year old gunman and former student of a south St. Louis high school opened fire killing both a teacher and young teenage girl!

According to St Louis Dispatch news, the gunman identified as Orlando Harris had graduated from Central Visual and Performing Arts High School last year. He is said to have arrived on the scene with a long gun around 9am to the Arsenal Street and South Kingshighway near Tower Grove Park located school. An unidentified security guard said he saw Orlando with the firearm trying to enter the school and immediately contacted the police.

Appearing in a news conference following the terrifying incident, Interim St. Louis police Commissioner Michael Sack didn’t say how Orlando managed to ultimately enter the school. He explained that there was a metal detector and seven security guards on the premises. He says that a call for an active shooter was directed at 9:11 a.m., and the shooter was shot 14 minutes later on the third floor of the school .

61 year old teacher and mother of 5 was identified by her family as a fatal victim as well as year old student Alexandria Bell. Sources confirm that four additional students were shot and injured. Two had been shot in the leg, one in the arm, another in the hands and jaw. Two additional students suffered from a series of wounds, and a girl endured a fractured her ankle.

Responding officers say the tragic incident could’ve ended much worst as the deceased gunman was found with over 30 rounds of magazines on him. Students also shared that Orlando’s gun jammed which allowed students time to run, escape or find shelter.

Math teacher David Williams said the school’s principal came on the loudspeaker at 9 a.m. and said the code phrase that gives warning of an active a shooter in the building. He says he heard multiple back to back shots and then saw a classroom’s window shot out. David says the gunman scream, “You are all going to (expletive) die.”

Here are various collected statements from teachers and students from the tragic incident

Elijah Pohlman, a 15-year-old sophomore, said it was chaos when the code came over the loudspeaker. He said he texted his parents that he loved them, then heard four gunshots and took off running. He said he almost ran into a body in the hallway on his way out.

“I don’t even know how to deal with it,” he said later. “I’m scared.”

Raymond J. Parks, a dance teacher at the school, said he was about to teach a ballet class when he saw the shooter wearing all black with a long gun out of the corner of his eye. Parks said the man pointed the gun at him but did not fire for some reason.

Taniya Gholston, 16, was in the dance class when the shooting started.

“He said like, ‘I’m tired of this damn school,’ and, ‘I’m tired of everybody in this damn school,’” she said.

Taniya said the shooter’s gun eventually jammed and that she was able to run for safety.

Ranaiyah Cole was in the dance class too, stretching, when she heard a gunshot.“We hid in a corner behind a mat,” said Ranaiyah, 16.

Once the gunman ran off, Ranaiyah and her classmates darted out of the school and to a vacant Walgreens building.

Nylah Jones, a ninth grader at the school, said she was in math class when the shooter fired into the room from the hallway but could not get into the classroom. Students piled into the corner of the room and tried not to move as the shooter banged on the door, she said.

Ryane Owens, 18, a senior at CVPA, said students “thought it was a drill at first. Then we heard noises.”

“Once you heard the boom,” said teacher Michael De Filippo, “all the chuckling and laughing in the back of the room stopped.”

Taniya Lumpkin was in speech and debate class at the time. She said a staff member told them to close and lock the door as they do for an intruder drill, but they “didn’t know if it was real or not.”

“Next thing you know, we just heard gunshots,” Taniya said. First single shots rang out, then multiple, then single again, she said.

Ja’miah Hampton, 16, was in vocal class on the fourth floor of the building when she heard gunshots on the third floor.

“I heard one big one, and then there were so many I stopped counting,” she said. “I’m confused why people are so cruel.

Around 9:30 a.m., the areas surrounding the school was blocked off by police, ambulances and a SWAT van. Students and staff exited the buildings with their hands in the air.

In a forwarded statement St. Louis Public Schools announced that all classes will be canceled Tuesday at Central Visual and Performing Arts and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience high schools following Monday’s shooting.

Our prayers remain with each victim and their families.