Five people are dead in Kirkwood, and the mayor, also shot, was fighting Saturday for his life.A city council meeting in the St. Louis suburb of 27,000 was about to start. The 30 to 40 who were gathered in City Hall stood and pledged allegiance to the flag.That's when Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton came in armed with a pair of handguns.The 52-year-old man opened fire. A local resident, familiar to all in the room, Cookie Thornton had a grudge against the city, and something made him snap.He apparently killed a police sergeant first in the parking lot. Then he crossed the street, came into City Hall and shot Officer Tom Ballman, who twice had placed Thornton under arrest."Shoot the mayor!" the gunman reportedly said as he continued into the city council's chamber.He next took aim at the city's public works director, Ken Yost, and shot him dead. He strode toward Connie Karr and pulled the trigger again.A city attorney fled, throwing a chair at the gunman. Thornton shot and killed Michael Lynch, a city councilman. He also shot a reporter in the hand.
Now of course, I'm not CONDONING these types of actions, although I do understand how one might be pushed beyond the breaking point by an evil city council. It's really too bad Mr. Thornton was killed. I was hoping he was free the second Tuesday of the month...
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