The family of Orlando Harris reached out to the police in Missouri, urging them to take away the 19-year-old’s bulletproof vest, ammunition, and AR-15-style rifle.
They were deeply concerned about his mental health, especially after he’d attempted suicide more than once. Unfortunately, in a state known for its broad gun rights, the best the officers could suggest was that Harris store the weapon in a storage unit. Just nine days later, he walked into his old high school in St. Louis and ominously declared, All of you are going to die.
A recent 456-page police report sheds light on the family’s desperate attempts to have his gun taken away before that tragic day on October 24, 2022, when he ended up killing a student and a teacher while injuring seven others before being shot dead by police.
It’s worth noting that Missouri does not have a red-flag law—these laws allow for temporary removal or restriction of firearms from individuals who may pose a danger to themselves or others.
This situation really underscores how challenging it is for law enforcement to limit access to guns even when there are clear warning signs. For instance, after an Army reservist killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine in October 2023, investigators found there were missed chances to intervene during the shooter’s mental health crisis.
Similarly, before a 14-year-old was charged with a deadly shooting at his Georgia high school this fall, he had already been talked to by deputies about an online threat while his family raised alarms about an extreme emergency.
In Harris’s case specifically, it turns out he first tried to take his own life back in the fall of 2021 right before he was set to head off for college. His family and former boss mentioned that various factors—like pandemic disruptions and even a friend getting arrested for homicide—likely contributed to his struggles with depression.
Interestingly enough, while the police report doesn’t mention anything about him going off to college as planned, it does note that he worked at a cafeteria in a senior living facility where discussions about guns occasionally came up among coworkers.
In August of the following year, Harris had a conversation with a psychiatry resident from Washington University. He mentioned that he had fleeting thoughts about shooting people at his old school, but he insisted those thoughts only lasted one night and he didn’t plan to act on them.
However, things took a darker turn as he started counting down to the shooting. He created detailed maps of the school and identified specific targets, including teachers, students, and members of the LGBTQ community. He even contemplated setting his family’s home ablaze with them inside.
The psychiatrist prescribed some medications for him, but Harris never picked them up. They did work out an emergency plan together. Unfortunately, after that initial meeting, Harris stopped attending his appointments altogether.
On October 8th, he attempted to buy a gun from a licensed dealer in St. Charles, Missouri; however, an FBI background check halted the sale—though it wasn’t clear why—and police didn’t respond when asked for more information on this.
Then just two days later on October 10th, Harris drove to a nearby suburb and paid someone $580 in cash for the rifle that would later be used in the shooting.
His family began to worry around October 15th when they received two packages filled with gun-related items from suppliers. One of his sisters opened them and discovered body armor vests along with magazine holsters and magazines. She searched his room afterward and found the rifle hidden inside an old TV box.
Concerned about her son’s mental state, Harris’ mother called BJC Mental Health Services for help. The staff there recognized it as an immediate threat and advised her to take everything she found to the police while explaining her son’s situation.
When she arrived at the station though, officers informed her they couldn’t take possession of the firearm since Harris was legally allowed to own it at his age; they suggested she go home instead while promising an officer would follow up later.
When she returned home with officers in tow, Harris was adamant about keeping the gun despite his mother’s insistence that it shouldn’t be there at all. The officers suggested renting a storage unit for it instead and also provided advice on how she could have him declared mentally unstable if necessary.
Since 1968 federal law has prohibited certain mentally ill individuals from purchasing firearms—this includes anyone considered dangerous or who has been involuntarily committed or deemed incompetent for trial or not guilty by reason of insanity.
In any case, all of Harris’ items were eventually loaded into his sister’s car trunk—including a box of ammunition that showed up just a day later—and she drove him to a storage facility about five miles away from his high school because she felt something terrible was going to happen soon after that.
On October 24th—the day everything changed—shots were fired as Harris walked into his former high school.
It’s not really clear why Harris chose that school as his target. A security officer mentioned that he was somewhat well-liked, and his principal from grade school said he wasn’t bullied, according to the investigation. But during the shooting at a dance class, one student reported hearing someone shout, I hate this school, I hate everybody.
Tragically, Alexzandria Bell was shot and initially ran towards the entrance for help but then collapsed on the ground. A security officer tried to comfort her, assuring her that help was coming—but then she fell silent. In one classroom, students jumped out of a window to escape after their PE teacher, 61-year-old Jean Kuczka, bravely stood in front of them to protect them from Harris. Unfortunately, she lost her life in the process.
Harris eventually made his way up to the third floor and hid out in a computer lab. The first officer who rushed into that lab had a daughter at the school too. He later recalled thinking about everything he had at stake when he entered; it was a tense moment for him. Afterward, he texted his daughter saying simply, I killed him.
Meanwhile, Harris’s sister heard about the shooting and started driving toward the school but ended up going home instead—waking their mother who had just finished an overnight shift. Later on, Harris’s mom checked her voicemail and found a message from a hospital asking if she still needed assistance with her son.