BENJAMIN SIMON
People join a chant at Monday night's vigil over nine hours after a student and teacher were killed at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.
After a teacher and student were shot to death yesterday at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, the White House has reinvigorated its call for an assault weapons ban.
At a press conference on Monday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre began her opening statement with a call for new action.
“Every day that the Senate fails to send [an] assault weapons ban to the President’s desk or waits to take another — other common-sense actions — is a day too late for our families and communities impacted by gun violence,” Jean-Pierre said.
The statement came about seven hours after the school shooting at CVPA. Located at Arsenal Street and South Kingshighway near Tower Grove Park, the 400-student magnet school shares a campus with Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience.
Two people were killed, including health and education teacher Jean Kuczka and 16-year-old student Alexandria Bell. At least seven students were injured.
The shooter used a long gun, according to St. Louis Interim Police Commissioner Michael Sack.
There have been 581 mass shootings where at least four people are killed in 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
"In the wake of Newtown, Parkland, Buffalo, Uvalde and countless other shootings in communities across the country, we need additional action to stop the scourge of gun violence,” Jean-Pierre said.
