KIRKWOOD, Mo. — The Kirkwood community was changed forever by a mass shooting at city hall on Feb. 7, 2008.
Fifteen years ago, six people were killed after Charlie "Cookie" Thornton opened fire at a Kirkwood City Council meeting. Thornton was shot and killed during a shootout with officers who responded to the scene.
Among the victims were police officers Tom Ballman and William Briggs, councilwoman Connie Karr, councilman Michael Lynch and Public Works Director Kenneth Yost. Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda was also injured and died months later.
According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article from Feb. 8, 2008, Thornton stormed the city hall with two weapons - his own revolver and the .40-caliber gun he stole from Sgt. Briggs after shooting and killing him outside.
Within minutes, Thornton walked into the council chambers with both guns and killed four others before Kirkwood officers shot and killed him, according to the article.
Swoboda survived but was seriously injured in the shooting, and reporter Todd Allen Smith, who was covering the city council meeting for the Suburban Journals, suffered a gunshot wound to his hand.
Smith later detailed his struggles following the shooting in his book "Murder, Romance, and Two Shootings."
Smith told 5 On Your Side in 2019 he hoped his book, activism and voice would help prevent further violence and heartbreak.
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Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to "stabilize inner-city neighborhoods." One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership with St. Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to de-escalate violent situations within their own communities.
