ST. LOUIS – The family of the suspected gunman in Monday’s deadly shooting at a south St. Louis high school campus is “heartbroken over the incident” and has helped him for years to treat his mental illness, according to interim St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Michael Sack.
“I have to give credit to the family, they made every effort they felt they reasonably could and I think that is why the mother is so heartbroken over the families that paid for his episode,” Said Sack during a Wednesday morning briefing.
Sack says police have talked with 19-year-old Orland Harris’ mother and adult sister and they are fully cooperating with the investigation.
The family called police when they learned Harris acquired a firearm and the police department helped them transfer the gun to another adult who could legally possess it, explained Sack.
Police are still investigating if that is the same gun used during Monday’s shooting at the Central Visual and Performing Arts campus that killed two people, injured several others, and ended with an officer shooting and killing Harris. It’s also not clear where the suspect got the more than 600 rounds of ammunition.
Sack went on to say the family “kind of had a system where they would track what might come in the mail, his interactions with others so he was engaging people, so he felt loved.”
Harris’ mother and sister would even search his room and even had him committed at one point, according to police.
However, Sack mentioned the family didn’t have access to Harris’ notebook and he could have possibly hidden some of his thoughts from his loved ones.
A portion from the note states, “I don’t have any friends. I don’t have any family. I’ve never had a girlfriend. I’ve never had a social life. I’ve been an isolated loner my entire life. This was the perfect storm for a mass shooting.” Sack said part of the note even mentioned “they can’t tell that I am doing this and getting ready.”
He also said the note is providing investigators insight into Harris’ mindset and that the school was always the target, “there was a disconnect between him and what he felt was the school community. He felt isolated and alone.”
