FBI background check blocked gun sale to St. Louis shooter

KBIA | By Associated Press

Published October 28, 2022 at 7:23 AM CDT

Police say the 19-year-old gunman who shot and killed two people at a St. Louis high school purchased the AR-15-style rifle from a private seller after an FBI background check stopped him from buying a weapon from a licensed dealer.

Police said Thursday that Orlando Harris tried to buy a firearm from a licensed dealer on Oct. 8. An FBI background check blocked the sale, though police didn't say why.

After Harris bought the rifle from a private seller, it was used in Monday's school shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis.

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