Thread: Gunman Kills 5 or 6 in Kirkwood, MO City Council Meeting

Just reported on Fox........

No other details yet.

I "believe" that they said that the mayor and at least two officers are dead.

Note location of Valley Park just about 3-4 miles away:

http://tinyurl.com/32yhlv

Gunman opens fire in City Council meeting
Mayor, two council members reportedly wounded in suburb of St. Louis

"BREAKING NEWS
updated 49 minutes ago

"KIRKWOOD, Mo. - A gunman opened fire at a meeting of the Kirkwood City Council in suburban St. Louis Thursday night, hitting the mayor, two council members and at least two other people, according to a newspaper. There was no immediate word on whether anyone was killed.

Police shot the gunman, who had hit Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which had a reporter attending the meeting.

The reporter said a police officer, council members Michael H.T. Lynch and Connie Karr, and Public Works Director Kenneth Yost also were shot.

The victims were taken to St. John's Mercy Hospital, but Kirkwood police told The Associated Press that no one was available to provide any information. St. Louis County police did not return several calls.

The Post-Dispatch reporter said the 7 p.m. meeting had just started when the shooter, who she identified as Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton, rushed into the council chambers yelling and began opening fire with at least one weapon. He started yelling "shoot the mayor" while walking around and firing, hitting a police officer first, the reporter said.

The reporter also said the shooter fired at the city attorney, who tried to fight off the attacker by throwing chairs. The shooter then moved behind the curved desk where the council sits and fired more shots at council members.

About 30 people were in the council chambers at the time of the shooting, the reporter said.

Dozens of emergency vehicles were on the scene and an area of several blocks was cordoned off along a busy north-south corridor around city hall.

This breaking story will be updated as information becomes available.

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23059784

KIRKWOOD, Mo. — A gunman opened fire at a city council meeting in this St. Louis suburb Thursday night, hitting the mayor and several city officials, a newspaper reported.

MyFOXStLouis.com has reported that two police officers were killed, as well as the gunman.

Police shot the gunman, who had hit Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which had a reporter at the meeting.

Also shot were a police officer, council members Michael H.T. Lynch and Connie Karr, and Public Works Director Kenneth Yost, said the reporter, Janet McNichols.

The victims were taken to St. John's Mercy Hospital, but Kirkwood police told The Associated Press no one was available to provide information. St. Louis County police did not return several calls.

The reporter said the 7 p.m. meeting had just started when the gunman rushed into the council chambers yelling and opened fire with at least one weapon. He started yelling "shoot the mayor" while walking around and firing, hitting a police officer first, the reporter said.

McNichols also said the shooter fired at the city attorney, who tried to fight off the attacker by throwing chairs. The gunman then moved behind a desk where the council sits and fired at council members.

About 30 people were in the council chambers, the reporter said.

Dozens of emergency vehicles were on the scene, and an area of several blocks was cordoned off along a busy north-south corridor around City Hall.

Click here for more on the story from MyFOXStLouis.com.

Sorry.....Dolly beat me to it.

Fox is again saying 6 are dead. The mayor and at least two officers.

I fear more of the same is going to happen as things get worse. I have never seen so many stressed people in my life... it is really bad out there

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

I fear more of the same is going to happen as things get worse. I have never seen so many stressed people in my life... it is really bad out there

ESPECIALLY with a recession and more and more US citizens losing their jobs.

Oh, Hell yeah.

I'm suprised this stuff hasn't happened earlier.

Its ashamed when your worth more dead then alive!

Sort of off topic, but hubby and I were at a local car dealership today and one of the general managerst just went nuts, yelling, screaming at the employees, or, at someone who had just fired him or put pressure on him. We found out it was due to low sales numbers.

Our salesperson said it was, in fact, due to the stress of bad sales and the economy. It was a bit frightening.