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FBI background checks revealed that the St. Louis school shooter had a red flag, yet he was still able to officially buy a gun, according to authorities

students st louis shooting

Despite having his FBI background checked, the shooter who shot and killed two people and injured numerous others in a school shooting in St. Louis, Missouri, on Monday was still able to buy the AR-15-style rifle he used in the attack from a private seller, according to authorities.
Orlando Harris, 19, attempted to buy a gun from a licensed dealer for the first time on Thursday, but the background check prevented the sale, according to Sgt. Charles Wall of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police. However, Wall said Harris could still lawfully purchase the rifle from a private person who had acquired it from an authorised dealer in 2020.

When Harris’ mother discovered the gun in their home, his family called the police because they were concerned about his mental health, according to the authorities.

The so-called “red flag law,” which would empower authorities to seize a person’s firearm if they pose a threat to themselves or others, does not exist in Missouri. In order for Harris’s weapon to be kept outside the house, St. Louis police arranged for it to be delivered to “a third party known to the family,” according to a statement from the police department.

However, the teenager had the gun back in his hands when he forced his way into Central Visual and Performing Arts High School on Monday morning.

The shooter began fire into the school’s hallways with the powerful weapon, a supply of more than 600 rounds of ammunition, and more than a dozen high-capacity magazines. The shooter had only graduated from the institution the previous year.

He resumed his shooting rampage, killing outstanding student Alexandria Bell, 15, and adored instructor Jean Kuczka, 61, and injuring numerous others as students and teachers scurried to lock and barricade doors and seek refuge.

Adams paused to maintain calm as his voice broke. “Never did I think I would be standing here today having a talk about a staff (member) and a student” being shot, he added.

This report was contributed to by CNN’s Nouran Salahieh, Holly Yan, Rebekah Riess, Adrienne Broaddus, Caroll Alvarado, Chris Boyette, and Elizabeth Joseph.

 

 

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