When School Shooters Vlogged Their Massacres

This episode of TruRed CRIME examines the chilling intersection of mental health, gun access, and surveillance in four real-life school and public space attacks. It begins with the 2022 St. Louis school shooting by 19-year-old Orlando Harris, whose legally purchased firearm could not be confiscated despite his mother's concerns—highlighting a critical gap in U.S. gun laws. The episode then shifts to the 2013 Denver High School murder of teacher Colleen Ritzer by 14-year-old Philip Chisholm, whose every move was captured on security footage, including multiple changes of clothes and the concealment of her body. The 2022 Uvalde Robb Elementary shooting is analyzed for the delayed police response—over an hour before breaching the classroom—and the ease with which shooter Salvador Ramos acquired assault weapons. Finally, the episode explores the 2017 Clovis library shooting by 16-year-old Nathaniel Jewett, who vlogged his manifesto before the attack, citing bullying and anger as motivations. Despite the video evidence and public outcry, New Mexico’s controversial juvenile sentencing law allows for parole after 15 years. The episode underscores how surveillance can provide evidence, but systemic failures in mental health support, law enforcement response, and gun regulation continue to cost lives.