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Trainer and teenage pupil killed in taking pictures at south St. Louis highschool. Suspect useless.

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Taniya Lumpkin, and Taniya Gholston college students at Central Visible and Performing Arts Excessive Faculty, and Takisha Duncan, a pupil’s mum or dad, react to the college taking pictures that occurred on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022.



ST. LOUIS — A teenage woman and a well being instructor had been shot to loss of life and 6 others had been injured Monday morning at Central Visible & Performing Arts Excessive Faculty in south St. Louis. Police confronted the gunman inside the college and killed him.

The suspect, a person not but recognized, was about 20. Police have not mentioned what connection, if any, he needed to the college at 3125 South Kingshighway.

One survivor heard him say he was “bored with all people” within the college. His gun jammed at one level, giving children time to flee.

Authorities haven’t launched the names of the girl and the teenage woman who died. However kinfolk of the girl recognized her to the Submit-Dispatch as 61-year-old Jean Kuczka, who taught well being and bodily schooling. Kuczka lived in Dittmer, Missouri.

Individuals are additionally studying…







Jean Kuczka

Jean Kuczka


A gunman got here into Kuczka’s classroom, Room 323, and Kuczka went in entrance of him to guard the scholars, her daughter was advised. It wasn’t instantly clear why the gunman went to her room or if he focused a sure instructor.

Those that survived suffered accidents starting from gunshot wounds to shrapnel, mentioned St. Louis police Chief Michael Sack.

Sack refused to say how the gunman obtained into the constructing. All doorways had been locked on the college on Monday morning, Sack mentioned. The constructing has metallic detectors and 7 safety officers.

There are two magnet excessive colleges on the campus — Central Visible & Performing Arts, with about 400 college students and Collegiate Faculty of Medication and Bioscience, with about 300 college students.

Sack mentioned law enforcement officials exchanged gunfire with the person on the college’s third ground, killing him. No officers had been harm. Sack mentioned police went inside “with out hesitation, went on to the sound of gunfire.” 

Sack mentioned that sort of response and confrontation “is the expectation” in legislation enforcement. He counseled the officers for what he referred to as “an incredible job.” He mentioned a safety officer noticed the person attempting to enter the constructing, and police had been alerted.

David Williams, a math instructor on the college, mentioned the college principal came visiting the loudspeaker round 9 a.m. and mentioned the code phrase that signifies a college shooter within the constructing. Williams heard a number of pictures exterior his classroom, and one of many home windows on the classroom door was shot out. He then heard a person say, “You’re all going to (expletive) die.”

Police have not mentioned what number of gunshots in all had been fired inside the college. They mentioned it lasted just some minutes.

Elijah Pohlman, a 15-year-old sophomore, mentioned it was chaos when the code came visiting the loudspeaker. He mentioned he texted his mother and father that he beloved them, then heard 4 gunshots and took off operating. 

“I don’t even know the best way to cope with it,” he mentioned. “I’m scared.”

Raymond J. Parks, a dance instructor on the college, mentioned he was about to show a ballet class when he noticed a person sporting all black with an extended gun out of the nook of his eye. Parks mentioned the person pointed the gun at him however didn’t fireplace for some cause.

Taniya Gholston, 16, was within the dance class. She didn’t acknowledge the person. He appeared too outdated to be a pupil, she mentioned.

“He mentioned like, ‘I am bored with this rattling college’ and ‘I am bored with all people on this rattling college,'” she added.

Taniya mentioned the shooter’s gun finally jammed and that she was in a position to run for security. Taniya was trembling as she recounted, together with her mom’s permission, the occasions to a Submit-Dispatch reporter. Her mom stood with Taniya as she spoke.

“I am glad I made it out as a result of his gun obtained jammed,” Taniya mentioned. “We noticed blood on the ground.”

Ranaiyah Cole was within the dance class too, stretching, when she heard a gunshot.

“We hid in a nook behind a mat,” mentioned Ranaiyah, 16.

As she huddled behind the big rolled-up mat, Ranaiyah used mirrors surrounding her to attempt to get a glimpse of the gunman. He wore black clothes, however Ranaiyah did not see his face. She noticed him level a big gun at her instructor.

As soon as the gunman ran off, Ranaiyah and her classmates darted out of the college and to a vacant Walgreens constructing.

Nylah Jones, a ninth grader on the college, mentioned she was in math class when the shooter fired into the room from the hallway however couldn’t get into the classroom. College students piled into the nook of the room and tried to not transfer because the shooter banged on the door, she mentioned. 

Ryane Owens, 18, a senior at CVPA, mentioned college students “thought it was a drill at first. Then we heard noises.”

“When you heard the increase,” mentioned instructor Michael De Filippo, “all of the chuckling and laughing at the back of the room stopped.”

Taniya Lumpkin was in speech and debate class on the time. She mentioned a employees member advised them to shut and lock the door as they do for an intruder drill, however they “did not know if it was actual or not.”

“Subsequent factor you recognize, we simply heard gunshots,” Taniya mentioned. First single pictures rang out, then a number of, then single once more, she mentioned.

Ja’miah Hampton, 16, was in vocal class on the fourth ground of the constructing when she heard gunshots on the third ground. “I heard one large one, after which there have been so many I finished counting,” she mentioned. “I am confused why individuals are so merciless.”

Dakota Willard, 14, who attends Collegiate Faculty of Medication and Bioscience — additionally housed within the CVPA constructing — mentioned he noticed a lady mendacity on the finish of a hallway that joins the 2 colleges. 

“What I noticed was traumatizing,” Willard mentioned. “I’m OK. I don’t want any particular assist.”

Scene of a college taking pictures at Central Visible and Performing Arts Excessive Faculty.



Tonya Neal, an authorized nursing assistant at SLU Hospital, mentioned she has a daughter and a niece who attend college there. At 9:19 a.m., she acquired a textual content from her daughter that learn, “Mother, I really like you.”

She did not notice till later that there was an energetic shooter on the college. She mentioned her daughter and niece are secure.

By 9:30 a.m., the complete space was blocked off by police, ambulances and a SWAT van. College students and employees streamed from the college with fingers within the air, submitting up Hereford Avenue towards the Schnucks on Arsenal, the place lots of of evacuees gathered.

Tons of of individuals gathered within the Schnucks car parking zone, the place college students and their mother and father had been hugging one another.

One boy was consoling his mom. “I’m glad it’s over. My pals are alive. It’s OK, Mother. It’s OK, I’m right here,” he mentioned.

Police and public officers held a information convention Monday morning to announce the most recent within the investigation. Mayor Tishaura Jones and Rep. Cori Bush each spoke. 

“It is so unfair,” Jones mentioned. “I am heartbroken for these households. Our youngsters should not must expertise this.”

Bush mentioned it’s vital to get assist when you want it within the taking pictures’s aftermath: “If you do not know who to speak to, you’ll be able to name our workplace,” she mentioned. “It is OK to not be OK.”

Jones and a number of other mother and father counseled the police response.

CVPA was Southwest Excessive Faculty for many years till 1992. 

Kuczka was the mom of 5 youngsters,  together with a son who’s a Eureka police officer.

Kuczka graduated from Lindbergh Excessive Faculty in 1979. She attended Southwest Missouri State College, now Missouri State, on a subject hockey scholarship, and he or she was a member of the 1979 Nationwide Championship group.

She earned a bachelor’s diploma and taught PE at Seven Holy Founders in Affton for 16 years. She later taught bodily schooling at Carr Lane within the St. Louis Public Faculties, then transferred to Central Visible and Performing Arts Excessive Faculty in 2008. The college web site says she has taught well being, private finance and bodily schooling.

“My mother beloved children,” her daughter Abbey Kuczka mentioned. “She beloved her college students. I do know her college students checked out her like she was their mother as a result of a whole lot of them did not have house life.”

Kuczka not too long ago started teaching cross nation at Collegiate, a magnet college inside the St. Louis public college system.

“This was her first 12 months of empty-nesting, and he or she was in search of one thing further to do,” Abbey Kuczka mentioned. “She was undoubtedly wanting ahead to retirement although. She was shut.”

Abbey Kuczka mentioned her mom talked about safety at the highschool final semester, telling kinfolk {that a} pupil from one other college introduced a gun into the constructing.

“She talked about that, however apart from that, she did not actually suppose something” about security issues, her daughter mentioned. “I imply, I feel individuals suppose it’s going to by no means occur to them.”

This story was up to date at 2:50 p.m. It is going to be up to date once more.


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