NEWTOWN, Conn. — The anti-gun violence group Sandy Hook Promise is calling for legislative action in the wake of a fatal school shooting this week in St. Louis.
Three people including the shooter were killed. St. Louis police were called to Central VPA High School on Monday. The officers arrived four minutes after the initial call and made entry into the school, according to Interim Police Chief Michael Sack. As students were running out of the building, they told officers there was a shooter armed with a long gun.
While exchanging gunfire with police, the suspect was shot. He was taken to an area hospital where he died.
Seven victims, all teenagers, were also injured. Police said four of the victims were shot, one suffered a broken ankle and two had cuts on their faces and knees.
Now, Sandy Hook Promise is urging lawmakers to take action with a holistic approach to reserve the "epidemic of gun violence plaguing our nation."
“The family tried hard to get help and to remove the firearm from the shooter’s possession,” Mark Barden of Sandy Hook Promise said in a statement. “Because of inadequate background check laws, easy access to semi-automatic weapons with high-capacity magazines and the lack of an extreme risk protection order (ERPO) law in Missouri, the shooter was able to legally obtain the semi-automatic rifle that he used to kill and maim.”
Barden's son Daniel was killed in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The group said that gun violence prevention should not be a partisan issue. They said any action by lawmakers should combine community awareness of warning signs with the tools and training to know how to effectively intervene, sensible gun safety policies and research on the root causes.
The weapon used in St. Louis was described by police as an AR-15. Officers had previously taken the gun from the suspect and given it to another family member.
"Officers responded and determined at that time the suspect was lawfully permitted to possess the firearm," a statement from police said Wednesday night. "A third party known to the family was contacted and took possession of the firearm so that it would no longer be stored in the home."
Police said it was unclear how the suspect got the gun again.
Police said family members were aware of the 19-year-old gunman's mental health issues. They worked with health professionals to get him treatment, even having him committed "on some occasions."
The suspect left a note behind in his car with a list of school shootings across the country, indicating he wanted to be the next national school shooter.
Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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