The Tragic Missteps Before a St. Louis School Shooting

Orlando Harris, 19, killed a student and a teacher and wounded seven others at his former St. Louis high school despite his family's pleas for police intervention due to his mental health struggles. The incident highlights the challenges of restricting gun access in states without red-flag laws.

In Missouri, a state with expansive gun rights, Orlando Harris' family pleaded with police to intervene as his mental health deteriorated. Despite their efforts, Harris, 19, retained his weapons and later used them in a tragic school shooting.

The comprehensive police report underscores numerous missed opportunities for intervention, including psychiatrists' warnings, blocked firearm purchases, and family alerts, before Harris' attack on October 24, 2022, at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.

This tragedy sheds light on systemic challenges to restricting guns from individuals deemed dangerous, especially in states lacking red-flag laws, emphasizing a dire need for coordinated legislative and mental health solutions.

(With inputs from agencies.)