Sad News Again
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23059784
KIRKWOOD, Mo. - A man known for confrontations with city officials killed five people at a city council meeting in suburban St. Louis Thursday night before he was shot to death by police.
Two police officers and three people attending the meeting were killed by the gunman, who rushed the council chambers and began firing as he yelled "Shoot the mayor!", according to St. Louis County Police spokesman Tracy Panus. Two others were wounded, including Mayor Mike Swoboda.
Two council members also were reported shot, but it was not clear if they had been killed.
The gunman was identified by NBC affiliate KDSK of St. Louis as Charles "Cookie" Thornton, known for confrontations with city officials.
Thornton was barred from City Council meetings but had made it known he would be at Thursday night's zoning meeting, and extra police were assigned ahead of time.
Panus said the gunmen killed one officer outside the city hall, then walked into the chambers and shot another.
KDSK said the shooter fired at City Attorney, John Hessel, who tried to fight off the attacker by throwing chairs. The gunman then moved behind a curved desk where council members sit and fired at them.
Swoboda, council members Michael H.T. Lynch and Connie Karr, and Public Works Director Kenneth Yost were shot, St. Louis Post-Dispatch correspondent Janet McNichols told the newspaper.
He fled the building and was then shot to death outside by police.
About 30 people were in the council chambers, the Post-Dispatch reporter said.
Thornton was frequently at odds with the zoning commission, KDSK reported. He ran a contracting business from his home and was often cited for storing materials that didn't meet code.
McNichols said Thornton was often a contentious presence; he had twice been convicted of disorderly conduct for disrupting meetings in May 2006. Most of Thornton's ire was directed at the mayor and Yost, she said.
Kirkwood is about 20 miles southwest of downtown St. Louis. City Hall is in a quiet area filled with condominiums, eateries and shops, not far from a dance studio and train station.
Mary Linehares, a teacher who lives about four blocks from City Hall and who walked down to the scene with her husband, described the town as quiet and eclectic.
"It's like a small town in St. Louis," Linehares told The Associated Press. "You can call it Mayberry."
Alex Johnson of msnbc.com contributed to this report.
KIRKWOOD, Mo. - A man known for confrontations with city officials killed five people at a city council meeting in suburban St. Louis Thursday night before he was shot to death by police.
Two police officers and three people attending the meeting were killed by the gunman, who rushed the council chambers and began firing as he yelled "Shoot the mayor!", according to St. Louis County Police spokesman Tracy Panus. Two others were wounded, including Mayor Mike Swoboda.
Two council members also were reported shot, but it was not clear if they had been killed.
The gunman was identified by NBC affiliate KDSK of St. Louis as Charles "Cookie" Thornton, known for confrontations with city officials.
Thornton was barred from City Council meetings but had made it known he would be at Thursday night's zoning meeting, and extra police were assigned ahead of time.
Panus said the gunmen killed one officer outside the city hall, then walked into the chambers and shot another.
KDSK said the shooter fired at City Attorney, John Hessel, who tried to fight off the attacker by throwing chairs. The gunman then moved behind a curved desk where council members sit and fired at them.
Swoboda, council members Michael H.T. Lynch and Connie Karr, and Public Works Director Kenneth Yost were shot, St. Louis Post-Dispatch correspondent Janet McNichols told the newspaper.
He fled the building and was then shot to death outside by police.
About 30 people were in the council chambers, the Post-Dispatch reporter said.
Thornton was frequently at odds with the zoning commission, KDSK reported. He ran a contracting business from his home and was often cited for storing materials that didn't meet code.
McNichols said Thornton was often a contentious presence; he had twice been convicted of disorderly conduct for disrupting meetings in May 2006. Most of Thornton's ire was directed at the mayor and Yost, she said.
Kirkwood is about 20 miles southwest of downtown St. Louis. City Hall is in a quiet area filled with condominiums, eateries and shops, not far from a dance studio and train station.
Mary Linehares, a teacher who lives about four blocks from City Hall and who walked down to the scene with her husband, described the town as quiet and eclectic.
"It's like a small town in St. Louis," Linehares told The Associated Press. "You can call it Mayberry."
Alex Johnson of msnbc.com contributed to this report.
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The news is disturbing enough but to hear that "extra" police protection was planned for this meeting??????? Just another case to encourage each of us to be more AWARE of who's coming and going from a room you are in.
Now, PLEASE, do not confuse my comments with any lack of sensitivity for these poor victims and their suffering families.... my heart certainly goes out to them. However, this type of story continues to put pressure on truly faithful gun owners both from the point of being aware and prepared and from the gun ban crowd that will start barking like dogs to ban our guns.......
If you haven't read any books or training manuals on the subject of "personal defense", I would suggest you get familiar with the principle of heightened state of alert, much like our Dept of Homeland Security uses today. Everyday at HOME is a low level of green, outside your home might be lighter green; travel goes to yellow, sitting in a restaurant, facing the door is yellow +; a strange looking cat walks in rather suspicious looking, goes to orange; you see a bulge in his jacket, you are now at RED alert.
Pray for those who suffer from this incident, make sure you are practicing not only good preparedness but also higher state of alertness anytime you are out of your comfortable zone.0
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