ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis community came together Tuesday for a day of remembrance and resilience to honor the lives lost in the mass shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School one year ago.
Candles sat by the front doors of the school to remember health teacher Jean Kuzcka and student Alexzandria Bell.
“You are talking about a vibrant child… always kind, always generous,” said Jay Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Bell family.
Mitchell is a former student of Kuzcka’s. He said more than 10 years after graduation, he still has memories of sitting in her classroom and her love for Snoopy.
“She loved her dogs. Which, of course, as you can see, they kind of reminder of Snoopy,” he said.
He never met Alexzandria Bell, but when tragedy struck, he reached out to her mom to help her try to heal and grieve the loss of her 15-year-old daughter.
“She’s had her days. It’s always an up-and-down thing. It is a tragedy, of course,” Mitchell said.
School administrators said the healing process is ongoing for students and teachers. The district declared Oct. 24 as a day of remembrance for Bell and Kuzcka’s lives.
“No one understands what the healing process looks like and everyone heals differently,” School Board President Antionette Toni Cousins said.
