|
Listen to this article here
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Fifteen-year-old Brian Collins jumped out of the second-story window of his St. Louis high school to escape a school shooting on Monday after being shot in the hands and jaw. Miraculously surviving the encounter, Collins’ supporters have launched a gofundme to support his recovery.
Collins is still recovering from the bullet wounds, with one bullet lodged in his jaw, after a gunman carrying an AR-15-style rifle opened fire on his health class at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The shooter, 19-year-old Orlando Harris, killed Collins’ teacher, 61-year-old Jean Kuczka, and 15-year-old student Alexandria Bell, CNN reported.
On Wednesday, Brian’s godmother and aunt, Stephanie Malia Krauss, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch “The bullet to his jaw was centimeters from a major artery, so it’s truly an act of God that he didn’t die and didn’t require surgery.”
As of Thursday morning, a gofundme Krauss organized for Brian has received nearly 4,000 donations and $143,000, surpassing the $100,000 goal.
Family of gunman tried to prevent school shooting
Meanwhile, the family of the gunman who opened fire on Monday had previously tried to confiscate his gun and warned police about mental health concerns. According to St. Louis Police Commissioner Michael Sack, the family did everything they could to prevent the violent event from unfolding.
“The mother at the time wanted it out of the house,” he said at a press conference. “The officers, in their response, handed it over to somebody else, an adult who was lawfully able to possess it.”
The family also committed Harris to a mental health institution several times, searched his room often and monitored his emails. Yet, he still managed to regain possession of the weapon and over 600 rounds of ammo.
Police say the shooter left a note indicating his plans.
“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,” the note said, according to Sack. “This was the perfect storm for a mass shooter.”
“I’ve got to give credit to the family,” the police chief said. “They made every effort that they felt that they reasonably could. And I think that’s why the mother is so heartbroken over the families that paid for his episode.”
St. Louis school shooting: one of 40 in 2022
During the shooting, the school announced the shooter’s presence over the intercom through a coded message, “Davis Miles is in the building.”
Teachers reportedly locked their doors immediately, but Harris shot his way through a classroom.
Police arrived on the scene four minutes after the call and found the shooter barricaded in a classroom eight minutes after arriving on scene, according to police.
Harris eventually pointed his weapon at officers, whom returned fire and killed him.
As one of several students who escaped, a bloodied and bullet-riddled Brian Collins jumped for his life out of the two-story window.
Gofundme for Brian Collins
The St. Louis school shooting marks the 40th incident this year, the highest rate on record since 2018, according to Education Week.
According to the gofundme, Brian was treated at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and has since been discharged to begin his longer-term recovery and healing at home.
“With medical bills looming and longer-term recovery needs still to be determined, Brian and his family need your help. We want to see Brian fully recovered, able to use his hands to create beautiful artwork, bake his signature cheesecakes, and make good use of his gaming chair,” the gofundme post reads.
To donate to Brian Collins’ gofundme, click here.
Comments are closed.