Local police have said that the scene is secure, after a gunman killed two people and injured more during the shooting on Monday.
Three people were killed (one being the gunman) in a shooting at the Central Visual and Performing Arts School in St. Louis, Missouri on Monday, October 24. Besides the shooter, Police Chief Mike Sack said that an adult woman and a female teen were killed in the shooting in a press conference after the scene was secured. He also announced that eight more people were taken to a hospital to treat injuries.
The suspect was not identified but Sack said he appeared to be about 20 years old. Police arrived to the shooting shortly after 9 a.m. After gunshots were heard, students and faculty members barricaded doors and hid in the corners of classrooms, according to The Associated Press. One student told AP that she saw the shooter, but his gun jammed, and she managed to run away. Sack said police immediately entered the school as students ran out. He said they cleared the building as soon as they heard gunshots being fired. He reported that no officers were injured in the shooting.
After responding to the call, police asked for members of the public to avoid the Central VP School area in a tweet. They also shared that the suspect was in custody. In the press conference, Sack said that he was pronounced deceased after he was transported from the scene. “WE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC TO PLEASE AVOID THE AREA OF S. KINGSHIGHWAY FROM SOUTHWEST TO ARSENAL UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THIS INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING,” the police department wrote on their Twitter account.
Our department responded to an active shooting incident this morning at Central VP School. A suspect was taken into custody.
WE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC TO PLEASE AVOID THE AREA OF S. KINGSHIGHWAY FROM SOUTHWEST TO ARSENAL UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THIS INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
— St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) October 24, 2022
Sack said that people who were hospitalized were treated for shrapnel and gunshots. He said other students were transported to Gateway Stem High School, where parents could pick them up, during the press conference. He said that the students who evacuated would be questioned about who was in the school at a later date.
At this time, the scene is secure and there is no active threat. A news conference will be held soon.
— St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) October 24, 2022
Police announced that the scene was secured at 11:45 a.m. EST. “At this time, the scene is secure and there is no active threat,” they wrote on Twitter. In the press conference, Sack said that there were no additional threats that police were aware of.
Sack also spoke about how horrible the day was for the entire community, explaining how traumatic it would be for the students and those who responded. “This is a heartbreaking day for all of us,” he said. “Here is a safe place where kids go to learn, to grow, to develop and something like this happens. It’s just heartbreaking.”
