ST. LOUIS–Missouri Gov. Mike Parson isn’t advocating new legal authority on a handful of measures that gun-control advocates have said may have prevented shootings like the one at a St. Louis high school last week that left two dead and seven injured.
An FBI background check blocked Orlando Harris’ purchase of a weapon from a licensed seller last month in St. Charles County, but Harris was able to buy an assault-style rifle from a private seller. St. Louis police have said Harris’ family had him committed more than once, and contacted police October 15 when family members found that he had a weapon and wanted it removed. Police said last week they “did not have clear authority to temporarily seize the rifle when they responded to the suspect’s home when called by the suspect’s mother.”
Someone known to the family took possession of the weapon at the time, but Harris regained control of it at some point and used it in the shooting Oct. 24 at Central Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) High School and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience (CSMB).
Parson, who has opposed attempts at so-called “Red Flag” laws, said Thursday that state law already calls for weapons to be taken away from someone ruled by a court to be mentally incompetent. He did not endorse the need for police to have further ability to act in emergency situations. While police have said that the Harris family had him committed, they have not indicated any further steps potentially taken through a court order.
Parson said police can also hold people for 96 hours in the event of mental health issues. “That happens every day,” he said.
Police have said Harris had approximately 600 rounds of ammunition when he first entered the school building last week.
“You had a person who committed a horrible criminal act is what happened here. Whether it’s one round or whether its 500 rounds you know somebody’s life was taken by a criminal act you know and I think it’s more important to understand how do you stop that,” Parson said when asked if lawmakers should explore ammunition legislation.
A 2013 Missouri law bans state agencies, departments, contractors or agents working for the state from tracking “the number or type of firearms, ammunition or firearms accessories that an individual possesses.”
In a letter to the Governor Thursday and Speaker-Elect Rep. Dean Plocher, R-St. Louis County, Missouri House Democrats called for giving gun violence legislation "the time & attention it desperately needs" in the 2023 regular session.
The St. Louis Public School District announced Thursday that CSMB students will return to virtual instruction Nov. 9 and in-person instruction by Nov. 14 if repairs are complete. Officials have not said when classes would resume at CVPA, which shares the same campus, but had more damage.