THE KIRKWOOD MAYOR & OTHERS ARE SHOT AT TOWN HALL MEETING!
At least 5 Are Shot and Killed at Meeting- 2 Police Officers!
One of the officers was shot in the back in the parking lot.
The mayor was shot in the head and underwent surgery at a local hospital.
Here is the first police report on the shootings tonight:
2 more shooting victims at St. John’s Hospital.
KMOV has a video report.
Kirkwood, known for its charm and turn-of-the-century homes, is a suburb on the outskirts of St. Louis.
The Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda (left) and at least two city council members Michael H.T. Lynch and Connie Karr were shot tonight at a town hall meeting.
— It was just reported that Connie Karr was killed by the shooter.
Charles Lee “Cookie” Thornton(Thornton) is named as the killer.
He has a record. More here. He was known to go to the meetings and raise hell- very unstable.
A judge ruled against the shooter 10 days ago.
Several people were reported injured in the shooting.
KMOV is following the story.
Bob McCarty sends this breaking news from St. Louis:
KSDK-TV, the NBC affiliate in St. Louis just reported that a man walked into the city council chambers in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, Mo., said all he wanted was justice and began shooting. Developing!
The Post Dispatch reported:
A man walked into a Kirkwood city council meeting Thursday night and shot several people, including the city’s mayor and several council members.
A correspondent for the Post-Dispatch who was attending said the 7 p.m. meeting had just started when the man rushed into the council chambers yelling and began opening fire with at least one weapon. She identified the man as Charles Lee “Cookie” Thornton.
“He came from the back of the room,” said Janet McNichols, the correspondent. “He kept yelling ‘shoot the mayor’ and he just walked around shooting anybody he could.”
McNichols said the shooter first fired at a police officer at the meeting, then began firing at the council. As people went to the floor, the shooter walked toward the council area.
He fired at the city attorney, who fended the attacker off by throwing chairs, McNichols said. The shooter went behind a curved desk where the council sits and fired more shots at members of the council, she said.
Then police arrived and shot the attacker.
Among those hit, in addition to the police officer, were Mayor Mike Swoboda, council members Michael H.T. Lynch and Connie Karr and Public Works Directer Kenneth Yost, McNichols said. Conditions were not known for any of them.
She said about 30 people were in the council chambers at the time of the shooting.
Bob McCarty also notes that, “Kirkwood is the same Missouri community that gained notoriety after the kidnappings of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby by Michael Devlin.”
UPDATE: Chris Johnson at the Midwest Conservative Journal sent two more articles on Charles “Cookie” Thornton HERE and HERE.
UPDATE 2: (Friday AM) Arthur Thornton, 42, left a suicide note before he went on the killing spree.
Charles Lee ‘Cookie’ Thornton is seen in this undated photo provided by the Webster-Kirkwood Times. Thornton was identified by witnesses as the gunman who opened fire at a city council meeting Thursday night Feb. 7, 2008, in Kirkwood, Mo., killing two police officers and at least three city officials before law enforcers fatally shot him. (AP Photo/Webster-Kirkwood Times)
The victims were identified Friday: Public Works Director Kenneth Yost, Officer Tom Ballman, Officer William Biggs and council members Michael H.T. Lynch and Connie Karr. Flowers and balloons were placed outside City Hall Friday in their honor.
Rest in peace- please remember the families in your prayers.
UPDATE 3: Bob McCarty has photos from Kirkwood.
