MO - Six killed in shooting at Kirkwood council meeting, 7 Feb 2008

[Mygirlsadie]

Obviously sounds like to me that he has/had a mental illness.

"He'd come to the meeting and he'd have a big easel and a picture of a donkey on there and call the council asses," McNichols said.

Sportscaster Doug Vaughn of Channel 4 said he went to Kirkwood High School with Thornton and has run into him through the years. He said Thornton's behavior changed after police cracked down on his parking of vehicles for his construction company outside his home in Meacham Park. He felt harassed, Vaughn said.

"He was more than a critic," Vaughn said. "It got to where he was showing up at every council meeting and trying to dominate everything. He kind of lost his mind."

Mike Prosperi, owner of the Imo's Pizza near City Hall and near where the first officer was killed, said everyone knew "Cookie." He said Thornton was known for his contentiousness at council meetings, but said there was another side.

"I'm just so shocked," Prosperi said. "He always had a smile on his face. He was always saying, 'God bless you. God bless you.' If he'd see you at the Sam's Club or the hardware store, he'd go out of his way to say hello."

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...DF9F175C2F225844862573E9001BDB9A?OpenDocument

 

[PrayersForMaura]

I used to work with the mayor's son

 

[SuziQ]

Fox is reporting that the Mayor passed away. The below link is to an article and video of the reporter that was inside the meeting.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...6A15EBAD4B0C0380862573E900244D47?OpenDocument

Post-Dispatch correspondent Janet McNichols was sitting in the second row of the Kirkwood City Council chambers with another reporter, Marty Harris of the Webster-Kirkwood Times, at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Her account of what happened during the next 30 seconds:

 

[SuziQ]

I used to work with the mayor's son

I am so sorry for you. My prayers for everyone involved.

 

[SuziQ]

Media is reporting that a presser will be at 10AM.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

NewsChannel 5's Jeff Small spoke with several longtime friends of Thornton and his family. They described "Cookie" as a nice, viable Kirkwood resident, who at times could get heated about problems with city government.

Residents said they were aware of previous confrontations between Thornton and Kirkwood mayor, but never thought an incident like Thursday night's shooting, could ever happen.



http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=139917&provider=top

 

[Spazkat9696]

Fox is reporting that the Mayor passed away. The below link is to an article and video of the reporter that was inside the meeting.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...6A15EBAD4B0C0380862573E900244D47?OpenDocument

Post-Dispatch correspondent Janet McNichols was sitting in the second row of the Kirkwood City Council chambers with another reporter, Marty Harris of the Webster-Kirkwood Times, at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Her account of what happened during the next 30 seconds:

I think the Mayor is still alive. Every site I have looked at have him listed as being in critical condition. The victims are listed in the snip below. Was FOX just jumping the gun as far as going to air with correct information or are the other sites just not up to date?

The authorities said Mr. Thornton arrived at City Hall around 7 p.m. on Thursday and encountered a police officer, Sgt. Bill Biggs, in a parking lot. Mr. Thornton shot Sergeant Biggs, then retrieved the fallen officer’s service revolver and entered the Council chambers yelling, “Shoot the mayor!” Once inside, he turned his guns on the assembled crowd.
Three city officials — Councilwoman Connie Karr, Councilman Mike Lynch and Kenneth Yost, the public works director — and a police officer, Tom Ballman, were killed in the chamber. Sergeant Biggs died in the parking lot.
Mayor Mike Swoboda and was in stable condition at a hospital.was wounded and remains in critical condition at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur, Mo. A newspaper reporter, Todd Smith, was also wounded

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/us/09missouri.html?hp

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Fox News has misreported. Greta said that the mayor died, too, but he was in the hospital. He was shot in the head though

 

[PrayersForMaura]

At a neighborhood meeting in the mostly black Meacham Park neighborhood, where Thornton lived, people cried, prayed and spoke of a racial divide. Some spoke sympathetically of Thornton and his rage over repeated parking and permit citations. One man called him a "hero."

Many say they are sickened by Thornton's brand of vigilantism. But others say they're left outside the mainstream and oppressed by unfair rules. Those people mourned Thornton and directed their anger back at Kirkwood officials.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...F26DDAED0921F0D3862573EA0015F4DC?OpenDocument

 

[PrayersForMaura]

City council members say the mayor's vital signs are improving.

The mayor and a reporter from the Suburban Journal who was shot in the hand, are the only shooting victims who survived the horrific shootings Thursday night at the Kirkwood, Mo. City Hall.

NewsChannel 5 has learned the mayor was shot in the head twice. He was shot once in the lower jaw and the bullet exited at his cheek. The mayor was also shot in the back of the head.

Mayor Swoboda, 69, underwent surgery Thursday night and again Friday morning. The second surgery lasted three hours.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=139915&provider=top

 

[NoKoolaidKid]

Mike Prosperi, owner of the Imo's Pizza near City Hall and near where the first officer was killed, said everyone knew "Cookie." He said Thornton was known for his contentiousness at council meetings, but said there was another side.

"I'm just so shocked," Prosperi said. "He always had a smile on his face. He was always saying, 'God bless you. God bless you.' If he'd see you at the Sam's Club or the hardware store, he'd go out of his way to say hello."

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...DF9F175C2F225844862573E9001BDB9A?OpenDocument

Mike Prosperi liked Mike Devlin too... the guy who kidnapped Shawn Hornbeck. He worked for him and never suspected a thing.
These two guys must shake his confidence in himself to be a good judge of character.
Can you imagine!