Andre Bell, the father of Alexandria Bell, the 15-year-old high school sophomore tragically killed during a school shooting in St. Louis on Monday, is now speaking on his daughter’s life and the senseless gun violence that took his daughter from him.
#AmericaTonight | This is Alexandria “Alex” Bell. She was murdered today in a class in St. Louis. Her teacher also died. Alex was 15, one of nine children, her father Andre Bell said. Alex loved to dance and was on the Junior Dance Team at Central Visual and Performing Arts HS. pic.twitter.com/VOpmGllY6R
— 🔥 Democracy Spot, Y’all! 🇺🇸 🏳️🌈 💖 🎧 🙌🏼 (@Democracy_Spot) October 25, 2022
The father of nine remembers his fourth child as “amazing” and mentioned how close the bond between him and his daughter was, explaining there was always an open line of communication between the two.
“When she would get in trouble in school before the school would call me, she’d be like, Pops. This is what happened. This is my side of the story before they say something because I know our rule,” he said. “Can’t nobody tell us nothing about each other. We’ve got to say it first.”
Family tells me the student victim is Alexandria Bell. She would have turned 16 in two weeks.
The sophomore loved to dance. A memorial grows with her picture outside CVPA. pic.twitter.com/VuTKj8tr5c
— Alexis Zotos (@alexiszotos) October 25, 2022
He also mentions her warm, outgoing personality and love for dancing, while friends and teachers said Bell loved art and always smiled.
“She was the girl I loved to see and loved to hear from,” Andre said. “No matter how I felt, I could always talk to her, and it was alright. That was my baby.”
You never think it could happen to you or in your city. But humans have proven to be unpredictable and vile. Life is wild rn. Prayers for all those affected in this school shooting in #stlouis #schoolshooting #stl pic.twitter.com/YOFdwwRYIe
— Underrated Tweets 4 Sale (@Inappropriat8) October 24, 2022
Andre told KSDK that this is a nightmare for him and the family sharing his daughter had plans to spend her birthday with him in California in Nov.
“It’s a nightmare,” Andre said. “Alexandria was my everything. She was joyful, wonderful, and just a great person.”
“I’m trying to stay strong for my kids,” said the father. “My kids, her mother … I’m just trying to stay strong. I can’t fall apart right now. It’s not fall apart time for me.”
As he mourns his daughter, Andre is searching for clear answers as to how this shooting took place.
Happening now: Principal Dr. Seals Shahid now speaking. She offers condolences to the families of Alexandria Bell and Jean Kirk Kuczka. @KMOV @SLPS_INFO @SLMPD pic.twitter.com/ojCkXyNc58
— David Amelotti (@DavidAmelottiTV) October 25, 2022
“I am so upset. I need somebody, police, community folks, somebody to make this make sense,” he said. “I really want to know how did that man get inside the school? I’m just trying to find some answers. My daughter was planning on coming out here to California and celebrate her birthday with me on Nov. 18, but now we have to plan her funeral.”
St. Louis police (@SLMPD) identified former student Orlando Harris, 19, as the person who shot nine people Monday morning at Central VPA High School. These are pictures of Harris from the school’s 2019–2020 yearbook.
Two people—teacher Jean Kuczka and student Alex Bell—died. pic.twitter.com/M1vWpva1SW
— Jacob Kuerth (@jacobkuerth) October 25, 2022
