St. Louis school gunman was armed with AR-15-style rifle and over 600 rounds of ammunition, officials say - NBC News

The 19-year-old gunman who killed 2 radical astatine a St. Louis precocious schoolhouse Monday was equipped with an AR-15-style firearm and implicit 600 rounds of ammunition, and near down a enactment referencing wide shootings, constabulary said.

St. Louis Police connected Tuesday showed an representation of the firearm utilized by Orlando Harris, who died aft exchanging occurrence with authorities.

"He had 7 magazines of ammunition connected a thorax rig that helium wore, helium besides had an further 8 magazines of ammunition successful a tract container that helium had carried," St. Louis Police Chief Mike Sack told reporters. "This doesn't see the fig of magazines that helium near and dumped connected the stairway successful the corridors on the way."

Sack said the shooting could've been worse had officers not gotten to the schoolhouse arsenic rapidly arsenic they did.

“This could’ve been a horrific scene," helium said. "It was not by the grace of deity and that the officers were arsenic adjacent arsenic they were and responded successful the mode that they did."

Sack did not clarify however the shooter got entree to the limb but stressed the value of checking successful with individuals who are successful distress.

“If you're alert of an idiosyncratic who appears to beryllium suffering from immoderate benignant of intelligence unwellness oregon distress, and they statesman speaking astir purchasing firearms oregon causing harm to others, we promote you to scope retired to idiosyncratic and study that truthful that we tin get assistance to that individual," helium said.

Harris besides near a handwritten enactment successful the car helium drove to the school, according to police.

Sack work portion of the enactment during the quality conference, successful which Harris described himself arsenic a loner and made notation to wide shootings.

"So, successful speechmaking this, we could spot immoderate of what's going connected wrong his mind," said Sack. "He feels isolated, helium feels alone, rather perchance aggravated and resentful of others who person what appeared to him to beryllium steadfast relationships and truthful desired to lash out."

People stitchery extracurricular aft a shooting astatine Central Visual and Performing Arts precocious schoolhouse successful St. Louis connected Monday. Jordan Opp / St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

A vigil for the victims of a schoolhouse shooting astatine Central Visual and Performing Arts High School successful St. Louis connected Monday. David Carson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

Harris entered Central Visual Performing Arts High School Monday greeting astatine astir 9 a.m. with what constabulary categorized arsenic a agelong weapon astatine the time.

After a gunfight with authorities minutes later, the gunman was taken into custody and aboriginal pronounced dead, a St. Louis constabulary authoritative told reporters.

Jean Kuczka, a 61-year-old wellness teacher, and Alexzandria Bell, a 15-year-old student, were killed successful the shooting, according to officials.

Kuczka was a parent of five, a grandma of 7 and a motorcycle rider who participated successful an yearly foundation lawsuit to rise wealth for juvenile diabetes, which her lad has, according to her illustration connected the high school’s website.

She began moving for St. Louis Public Schools successful 2002 astatine the Carr Lane Visual Performing Arts Middle School earlier she transferred to the precocious schoolhouse successful 2008 to thatch health, idiosyncratic concern and carnal education.

Andre Bell, Alexzandria’s adoptive begetter who lives successful Los Angeles, called losing her “a nightmare,” NBC affiliate KSDK reported.

The 15-year-old sophomore had an outgoing property and was a subordinate of her precocious school's inferior varsity creation team, Bell told the quality station.

“She was joyful, fantastic and conscionable a large person,” helium said to KSDK. “She was the miss I loved to spot and loved to perceive from. No substance however I felt, I could ever speech to her and it was alright. That was my baby.”

A GoFundMe created to assistance Alexzandria's household with ceremonial expenses describes her arsenic "beautiful, talented, and charismatic."

Sack wasn't capable to supply immoderate update connected the aggregate different victims injured successful the shooting, saying that he's not alert of immoderate of them being released from the infirmary since they were admitted. They were each 15 and 16-year-olds and sustained injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to a fractured ankle and facial abrasions, helium said Monday.