St. Louis school shooter bought AR-15-style rifle from private seller after first effort blocked by FBI
The gunman who shot and killed two people inside a St. Louis high school Monday purchased his rifle from a private seller after an FBI background check prevented him from buying from a licensed dealer, officials said.
Orlando Harris initially tried to obtain an AR-15-style rifle on Oct. 8 from a gun store in St. Charles, Mo., police in St. Louis said Thursday evening. An FBI background check “successfully blocked this sale,” police said, though they did not provide details on what exactly made the 19-year-old ineligible for the firearm purchase.
Harris went on to buy his gun from a private seller, who legally obtained the firearm from a licensed dealer in 2020, according to officials. Police noted that no existing law would have prevented the sale.
Days later, Harris’ mother discovered the rifle in Harris’ room and asked that police confiscate the weapon, cops said. She’d been concerned about her son’s mental health and did not feel comfortable having the gun in their home.
Authorities said they did not “have clear authority to temporarily seize the rifle when they responded to the suspect’s home when called by the suspect’s mother” on Oct. 15. Instead, they contacted a “third party known to the family,” who took possession of the deadly weapon.
While it’s not clear how Harris regained possession of the weapon, he allegedly used it just over a week later to carry out an attack at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, where he was once a student.
Tenth-grader Alexzandria Bell and teacher Jean Kuczka were killed in the attack, and seven 15- and 16-year-olds were wounded. None of those injuries are believed to be life-threatening.
Police believe Harris, who was killed by officials, had intended targets but have not said if any of the victims were among them.
With News Wire Services
