Photos: Prayers said, memorial grows as St. Louis reacts to school shooting
St. Louis mourns the deaths of a Central Visual & Performing Arts student and teacher on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022 following Monday's school shooting.
Photos by Post-Dispatch staff

Members of the group Pray for the Lou place hands on the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School building as they pray at the site of Monday's school shooting, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022.

St. Louis Public Schools Director of Security DeAndre Davis fights back tears as SLPS captain Misty Dobynes holds hands with Central Visual and Performing Arts High School Principal Kacy Seals-Shahid, during a press conference about Monday’s school shooting, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, at the SLPS headquarters downtown.

St. Louis Public Schools Director of Security DeAndre Davis fights back tears during a press conference about Monday's school shooting at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, at the Board of Education downtown. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

"It's got to change...that find a way to get this weapons of war off of the streets and for the love of God out of our schools ," said St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education President Matt Davis, who fights back tears talking about Monday's school shooting at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School during a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, at the Board of Education downtown. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Collegiate School of Medicine & Bioscience High School sophomores Brady Grossman, left, and Xavier LaPorte present a "Thank You" cake to St. Louis police Capts. Latricia Allen and Mike Mueller at South Patrol headquarters on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. The students brought the cake to the police to thank them for their quick response to the shooting at their school on Monday. Capt. Mueller was among the a team of officers who entered the school and exchanged gunfire with the shooter to end the threat. While evacuating the building after the shooting, Brady passed by the body of Alexzandria Bell, the student who was killed in the shooting.

A photo of Alexzandria Bell, 15, rests at the scene of a growing floral memorial to the victims of Monday’s school shooting at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. Alexzandria and teacher Jean Kuczka were killed, along with gunman Orlando Harris, in Monday’s shooting. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

Tiago DeShields, 6, looks over a photo of Alexzandria Bell, 15, who was killed in Monday morning's school shooting at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. Tiago joined his family and about 25 others with the group ‘Pray for the Lou' at the growing memorial for Bell and teacher Jean Kuczka. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

A St. Louis police officer joins a neighbor in prayer after laying flowers at a growing memorial to Central Visual & Performing Arts High School student Alexzandria Bell, 15, and teacher Jean Kuczka on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022 following Monday's shooting by suspect Orlando Harris. Harris, 20, was killed by police minutes after he entered the building. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

A memorial to Central Visual and Performing Arts High School student Alexzandria Bell, 15, and teacher Jean Kuczka grows on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, after a shooting at the school the day before.

Melissa and Greg Morrison pray with Tiago DeShields and his brother Hugo DeShields during a meeting of the group ‘Pray for the Lou' outside Central Visual & Performing Arts High School, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. Kurt Wilson, right, led prayer beside about 25 people for student Alexzandria Bell and teacher Jean Kuczka, who died in Monday's shooting. The suspect, Orlando Harris, was killed by police. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

Kurt Wilson of Jefferson County, leads prayer with the group ‘Pray for the Lou' outside Central Visual & Performing Arts High School, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022 following Monday's killing of a student and teacher. “When something happens in a certain part of St. Louis, people think nobody cares,” said Wilson, who heads weekly prayer marches in the city. “We don't go to the school where you do and we don't go where you go, but we're one city.” Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

The first floor of Central Visual & Performing Arts High School is seen through the south entry doors on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022 following Monday's killing of a student and teacher. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

An open door on the first floor of Central Visual & Performing Arts High School is seen through the south entry doors on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022 following Monday's killing of a student and teacher.Â

Melissa Morrison of Gateway Legacy Christian Academy holds Tiago DeShields, 6, during a meeting of the group ‘Pray for the Lou' outside Central Visual & Performing Arts High School, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. Tiago's father Kenny DeShields leads the prayer of about 25 people for student Alexzandria Bell and teacher Jean Kuczka, who died in Monday's shooting. The suspect, Orlando Harris, was killed by police. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

Kurt Wilson of Jefferson County, leads prayer with the group ‘Pray for the Lou' outside Central Visual & Performing Arts High School, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022 following Monday's killing of a student and teacher. “When something happens in a certain part of St. Louis, people think nobody cares,” said Wilson, who heads weekly prayer marches in the city. “We don't go to the school where you do and we don't go where you go, but we're one city.” Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

St. Louis Police interim Chief Michael Sack steps away from the podium to show the AR-15-style weapon used Monday by a gunman at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School.Â

St. Louis Police Interim Police Chief Michael Sack tells the press the shooter used a AR-15-style rifle and had nearly 600 rounds of ammunitions during Monday's school shooting at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School, while speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, at Police Headquarters. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Mayor Tishaura Jones listens as St. Louis Police Interim Police Chief Michael Sack updates the press on Monday's school shooting at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School during a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, at Police Headquarters. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Teacher Rachel Phillippe, left, and her mother, Cara Phillippe, stop by a growing memorial on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, outside Central Visual and Performing Arts and Collegiate School of Medicine & Bioscience high schools, where student Alexzandria Bell, 15, and teacher Jean Kuczka were shot and killed on Monday. Rachel Phillippe has worked at the school as a music teacher for three years and was in class when the shooting happened.

Director of Safety and Security for St. Louis Public Schools DeAndre Davis updates the press on Monday's school shooting at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School during a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, at Police Headquarters. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com