St. Louis School Shooter Outlined Why He Did It in Handwritten Manifesto

The suspect in the St. Louis school shooting on Monday had a handwritten manifesto that outlined his desire to carry out the crime.

During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department interim Commissioner Michael Sack said that authorities found a "handwritten" document in the suspect's vehicle.

"He wrote, '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 shooter,'" Sack said during the press conference while reading the manifesto.

The announcement comes just a day after a school shooting took place at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis. The shooting left two victims dead. The suspect was also pronounced deceased after the shooting, police previously said.

"So, in reading this, we can see some of what's going on inside his mind. He feels isolated, he feels alone, quite possibly angry and resentful of others who have what appears to him to be healthy relationships, and so a desire to lash out," Sack said.

During the press conference on Tuesday, police identified the suspected shooter as 19-year-old Orlando Harris. Police also shared several images of the firearms found after the shooting.

"In addition to the rifle brought in, a large quantity of ammunition—he had seven magazines of ammunition on a chest brick that he wore. He also had an additional eight magazines of ammunition in a field bag that he had carried," Sack said. "This doesn't include the number of magazines that he left and dumped on the stairway in the corridors along the way. It appears he came into the building with more than 600 rounds of ammunition on his person."

In a tweet on Tuesday afternoon, the Saint Louis Public Schools shared a tribute for the two victims that died during the shooting.

"As we move into our first day helping students and families recover from the tragedy that occurred at CVPA and Collegiate High Schools, we want to acknowledge our collective heartbreak at the loss of 15 year-old student Alexandria Bell and 61 year-old P.E. teacher Jean Kuczka," the tweet said. "The District has made contact with their families and will provide any and all assistance we can through this time."

In a statement sent to Newsweek, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said that at least four other victims sustained injuries in the shooting.

"Victim #3 sustained a graze wound during the incident and was transported to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition. Victim #4 sustained gunshot wounds and was transported to the hospital where he was listed in serious/stable condition. Victim #5 sustained a gunshot wound and was listed in stable condition. Victim #6 sustained gunshot wounds and was taken into surgery," the statement said.

Update 10/25/2022, 2:39 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.