Orlando Harris: What we know about former student, 19, who killed two in St Louis school shooting

The gunman in the deadly St Louis, Missouri, school shooting has been identified as 19-year-old Orlando Harris.

Harris entered the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School (CVPA) in St Louis City on Monday morning and opened fire, killing a teacher and a student and wounding several others, according to police.

Gunfire broke out between Harris and the St Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the gunman was killed.

Police say that Harris graduated from the school last year. According to KMOV, Harris didn’t appear to have a significant presence on social media.

The authorities said Harris had a dozen of high-capacity magazines as well as a long gun.

Evidence removed from home by FBI

The suspect is thought to have lived in a neighbourhood in the south of the city. Evidence, including a computer, could be seen being removed from a home in the area by the FBI.

A woman at the residence was seen seemingly cooperating with the authorities but it remains unclear if she’s related to Harris, KOMV reported.

Student heard gunman say he was ‘tired of everybody’

A student told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that she heard the gunman say that he was “tired of everybody” at CVPA.

St Louis police Chief Michael Sack told the press that the doors were locked, the metal detectors were working, and there were seven security officers present.

The police chief said that officers shot and killed the suspect on the building’s third floor.

A student told KMOV that they were in a dance class when a male with a “long gun” stormed inside the room and asked, “are you ready to die?”

Another student, 16-year-old Taniya Gholston, recounted the moments of fear as she made eye contact with the gunman.

‘I made it out because his gun got jammed’

“All I heard was two shots and he came in there with a gun,” Ms Gholston told the St Louis Post-Dispatch. “And I was trying to run and I couldn’t run. Me and him made eye contact but I made it out because his gun got jammed. But we saw blood on the floor.”

Suspicions of mental illness

Mr Sack told reporters that “there are suspicions that there may have been some mental illness that he was experiencing. We’re working on developing that information right now”.

Police have said Harris didn’t have a previous criminal history.

Investigators found the gunman’s car and searched it for evidence.

“I know there is some evidence that was taken out,” Mr Sack said.

Suspect said he was ‘sick of this damn school’

David Williams, a math teacher at the school, told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that the school principal came over the loudspeaker around 9am and said the code word for an active shooter being in the building.

Mr Williams told the outlet he heard multiple shots outside his classroom, and one of the windows on the classroom door was shot out. He then heard a man say, “you are all going to f***ing die”.

Taniya Gholston, 16, a student at CVPA, told The St Louis Post-Dispatch that she did not recognise the gunman and escaped when his gun jammed. She told the newspaper that she heard him say something about being “sick of this damn school”.

Dance teacher Raymond Parks told The Post-Dispatch Harris was dressed in all-black clothing and that he pointed his firearm at him but didn’t shoot.