ST. LOUIS — Thursday marked two years since the first school shooting in the St. Louis area at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.
On Oct. 24, 2022, a 19-year-old entered the school in the Southwest Gardens neighborhood and opened fire. The gunman, a former student, killed a student and a teacher and injured seven others before being shot and killed by police.
One of the survivors was 17-year-old Brian Collins, who had just transferred to the school a week before. Collins suffered gunshot wounds to the side of his face and both wrists before jumping and escaping out of a window.
"There are times where I think about it but like not in a triggering way," he said.
Two years later, the CVPA senior is drawing again, playing video games and dribbling a basketball.
"It definitely feels better to be able to use my hands again rather than sitting in the hospital bed and doing nothing," he said.
Collins' mother, VonDina Washington, and his siblings are students and alums of CVPA.
"What's crazy is my senior year of high school, Columbine happened," his mother said. "And because Central is diverse, whenever anybody came to school at that point with like a black trench coat or anything. we were all kind of looking like what's happening? Nervous."
Washington, too, deals with trauma and has moved her son's room to the basement for comfort.
"I noticed that whenever gunshots or anything would go off. I notice that (Brian) would take cover," Washington said. "It's like a long anxiety. That I don't know if I will ever get over. So whenever any of my kids FaceTime me, I'm thinking it is something wrong."
The mother stressed that she was thankful for good relationships with staff at the school but noted communication from the district about security had been lackluster since the incident happened.
"I was promised that I would get a timeline of the different construction things happening, and I never got a response after that," she said.
5 On Your Side reached out to Saint Louis Public Schools several times by phone and email about safety and support a few months leading up to the two-year anniversary of the shooting but got no response.
Meanwhile, Collins' family leans on each other and their faith.
"Brian is a senior. Chloe is a sophomore. And I'm just like, 'Two more years. Two more years.' But I have empathy and compassion for all the other kids who are behind them as well," Washington said.
Collins, who plans to go into coding, advised students moving forward.
"Always look for an exit. Any room that you go into ... make sure there's an exit to it," he said.
SLPS Board of Education Vice President Matt Davis responded to our request for information about safety improvements since the shooting. He said:
- Security presence has been upgraded, including the addition of two armed security officers on-site.
- Additional cameras and DVRs have been installed for improved security monitoring.
- Anti-intrusion film (which makes glass shatter resistant) has been installed building-wide on lower-level windows.
- All exterior doors have been replaced, and all classroom doors have been replaced or repaired.
- Alarm upgrades have been made in conjunction with door replacements.
Davis noted that work was being done across the district to protect almost 20,000 students enrolled and staff.
"Safety and security upgrades will continue moving forward, funded both by Prop S funds and general fund dollars when needed. All procedures will be under regular review as we continue to search for ways to improve each and every day," Davis said.
Classes at CVPA and the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience were both canceled for the day of remembrance on Thursday. The school held off-campus activities and offered ongoing counseling support to the school community.