Family pleaded to have assault rifle seized before deadly school shooting. Officers had few options

Orlando Harris’ family pleaded pinch Missouri constabulary to confiscate nan 19-year-old’s bullet-proof vest, ammunition and AR-15-style rifle. They knew his intelligence wellness was vulnerable aft much than 1 termination attempt. But nan champion officers could do successful a authorities pinch immoderate of nan astir expansive weapon rights is propose Harris support nan limb successful a retention unit.

Nine days later, Harris entered his erstwhile St. Louis precocious schoolhouse and declared, “All of you are going to die.”

A caller 456-page constabulary study specifications nan efforts Harris’ family took to effort to return his weapon distant successful nan days earlier he walked into Central Visual Arts and Performing Arts High School connected Oct. 24, 2022, erstwhile he killed a student and a coach and wounded 7 others earlier he was fatally changeable by police.

Missouri is not among nan 21 states pinch a red-flag law. Also known arsenic utmost consequence protection orders, red-flag laws are intended to restrict nan acquisition of guns aliases temporarily region them from group who whitethorn wounded themselves aliases personification else.

The lawsuit highlights really difficult it is for rule enforcement to restrict weapon access, moreover erstwhile location are clues thing is profoundly amiss.

After an Army reservist killed 18 people successful October 2023 successful Lewiston, Maine, an investigation recovered missed opportunities to intervene successful nan shooter’s psychiatric crisis. And earlier a 14-year-old was charged successful a deadly shooting this autumn astatine his Georgia precocious school, a lawman talked to him astir an online threat and family warned of an “extreme emergency.”

The investigation study successful Harris’ lawsuit shows nan first clip he attempted termination was successful nan autumn of 2021, conscionable earlier he was scheduled to time off for college. Pandemic disruptions, nan apprehension of a friend successful a homicide and a car wreck each whitethorn person contributed to his depression, his family and erstwhile leader told investigators.

The constabulary study makes nary mention of him attending college. Instead, he worked successful nan cafeteria astatine a elder facility, wherever he sometimes discussed guns pinch coworkers.

The pursuing August he met pinch a Washington University psychiatry resident, telling her he thought astir shooting group astatine his aged school. He said those thoughts lasted for conscionable 1 evening and went away, and that location was nary readying and he didn’t want to do it.

But soon after, Harris began a countdown to nan shooting. His plans included elaborate maps of nan schoolhouse and a scheme to target teachers, students and nan LGBTQ community. He besides had plans to pain down his family’s location pinch them inside.

The psychiatrist prescribed medications, but Harris didn’t capable nan prescriptions. The study says they developed an emergency plan.

Washington University did not instantly respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Harris past stopped showing up for appointments.

On Oct. 8, he tried to bargain a firearm from a licensed trader successful St. Charles, Missouri, but nan transaction was blocked by an FBI inheritance check. The study doesn’t explicate why, and constabulary didn’t respond to an email from nan AP. The FBI simply provided a database of nan 12 reasons for a denial pinch nary different details.

Then connected Oct. 10, Harris drove to a adjacent suburb to salary a man $580 successful rate for nan firearm utilized successful nan shooting.

Harris’ family grew much concerned connected Oct. 15, erstwhile 2 packages from weapon and ammunition suppliers arrived. One of his sisters, Noneeka Harris, opened them, uncovering a assemblage armor vest, mag holsters and magazines. She past searched his chamber and recovered nan firearm wrong an aged TV box.

Harris’ mother, Tanya Ward, called BJC Mental Health Services and unit location “deemed nan business arsenic an contiguous threat.” They advised her to return nan items to nan constabulary section and show officers astir her son’s intelligence illness.

Police astatine nan position told her they couldn’t return nan firearm because Harris was of ineligible property to person it. They said she should caput location and an serviceman would meet them there. By nan clip she returned, Harris was location and insistent that he support nan gun.

His mother was adamant that nan weapon not beryllium successful nan house, truthful nan officers suggested a retention unit. The study said nan officers besides advised her connected steps she needed to return to person her boy deemed mentally unstable.

Federal rule has banned immoderate mentally sick group from buying guns since 1968, including those deemed a threat to themselves aliases others, who person been involuntarily committed, aliases judged not blameworthy by logic of insanity aliases incompetent to guidelines trial.

Ultimately, nan firearm and different items were loaded into nan trunk of Harris’ sister’s vehicle, including a container of ammunition that arrived nan adjacent day. She later drove her relative to a retention facility, which was astir 5 miles (8 kilometers) from nan precocious school.

She told constabulary she “knew thing was going to happen.”

On Oct. 24, shots rang retired arsenic Harris entered his erstwhile precocious school.

It is unclear why Harris targeted nan school. A information serviceman recalled him arsenic somewhat celebrated and his people schoolhouse main said he wasn’t bullied, according to nan investigative report. But arsenic he fired astatine a creation class, 1 student told constabulary she heard personification yell, “I dislike this school. I dislike everybody.”

Fatally wounded, Alexzandria Bell initially ran toward nan entranceway earlier slumping to nan ground, a information serviceman reassuring nan 10th grader that thief was connected nan way. But past she went quiet.

One people jumped retired a model to flight aft their beingness acquisition teacher, 61-year-old Jean Kuczka, stood betwixt them and Harris. Kuckza was killed.

Harris yet made his measurement to nan 3rd floor, hiding successful a machine lab. The first serviceman to complaint into nan laboratory had a girl astatine nan school.

“I had everything to lose,” nan officer, who was among those to unfastened fire, recalled successful nan constabulary report. He texted his girl afterward, telling her, “I killed him.”

Harris’ sister told investigators that erstwhile she heard astir nan shooting, she started driving toward nan schoolhouse but past went location instead, waking up her mother who had worked overnight.

Harris’ mother later checked her voicemail. There was a connection from a infirmary asking if she still needed thief pinch her son.