ST. LOUIS – It’s been two years to the day that a gunman entered Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and left families across St. Louis devastated in under 30 minutes. The community still mourns the losses from Oct. 24, 2022.
The shooting killed 15-year-old Alexzandria Bell, a sophomore studying dance, and 61-year-old physical health teacher Jean Kuczka.
Carlonda Williams, mother of a CVPA graduate, said, “Ms. Kucza was one of my daughter’s teachers. She was a good teacher. And the fact she stood in front of her students to protect them…I will always honor that.”
Seven others were injured, as well as the 19-year-old gunman, who was shot by police that same day.
St. Margaret of Scotland Parish held a prayer vigil Thursday to honor those lost and affected, hosted by the church’s Gun Sense: For the Common Good team, formed after the shooting.
Emily Schiltz helped form the Gun Sense Committee at the church after her two children survived that day.
“While yes, we join ranks with all of those who are already working to make everyone safe, we also say the life mattered and we want to honor it, and we want to sit in some silence tonight and mark the lives that should be here tonight and aren’t,” she shared.
Doors opened at 7 p.m. for communal prayer, music, and reflection—reflecting on the reach of gun violence not only in St. Louis but throughout our country.
Gun locks were distributed by the church’s ministry, emphasizing that they are the most effective way to ensure firearms are securely stored. The ministry also reiterated their commitment to promoting gun safety while supporting students in our city.
“It’s much easier today than it was last year, and so probably hopefully next year we’ll find that exponentially as life continues to have joy, have beauty, have hope, have moments of vigil, moments of lament, safety, but also joy and laughter and fun. It continues to become a smaller and smaller portion of what they’ve experienced, and we move forward,” Schiltz said.