Charles Thornton

Mass Murderer

Charles Thornton and the 2008 Kirkwood City Council Shooting

Overview

Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton was responsible for a deadly attack on municipal officials and police officers in Kirkwood, Missouri, on February 7, 2008. Thornton, a 52-year-old resident of the Meacham Park neighborhood, entered Kirkwood City Hall during a public city council meeting and opened fire. Five victims died that evening, Mayor Mike Swoboda was critically wounded and later died after suffering continuing medical complications, and a newspaper reporter was injured. Thornton was shot and killed by responding police officers inside the council chamber. The attack was not considered random. Thornton had spent years in conflict with Kirkwood officials over municipal citations, construction work, legal disputes and his treatment at public meetings. Several of the people he targeted had been directly involved in those disputes. His grievances developed after Meacham Park, a historically Black community adjoining Kirkwood, was annexed by the city in 1992. Thornton increasingly claimed that city officials were unfairly enforcing ordinances against him and denying him economic opportunities.

Background and Disputes with Kirkwood

Thornton was born on December 23, 1955, and lived for much of his life in Meacham Park. He operated a demolition and asphalt business and had once participated in local civic activities. He unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Kirkwood City Council in 1994. Thornton initially supported a commercial redevelopment project near Meacham Park because he believed local contractors, including his company, would receive work from the project. Thornton later became convinced that Kirkwood officials had excluded him from contracts and were deliberately targeting him with municipal citations. The city cited him repeatedly for matters involving vehicles, equipment, signs, debris and other alleged ordinance violations. Thornton challenged many of the citations and accumulated substantial fines and legal costs. He regularly appeared at city council meetings to denounce officials and accuse the city of corruption, discrimination and constitutional violations. His confrontations with city employees occasionally became physical. On May 13, 2002, Thornton was convicted of assaulting Kirkwood Public Works Director Kenneth Yost during an argument. Yost would later become one of the people killed in the 2008 attack. Thornton was also removed from council meetings after disrupting proceedings. On May 18, 2006, police arrested and handcuffed him at a meeting after he refused orders to stop speaking and leave the podium. On June 1, 2006, the council considered proposals that would have restricted Thornton from attending or speaking at meetings. The measures were defeated, and Mayor Mike Swoboda stated that the city would continue allowing Thornton to participate as long as he followed meeting rules. Thornton nevertheless continued to believe that the city was silencing him. He filed lawsuits and demanded millions of dollars in damages, but his legal claims were unsuccessful. Thornton also faced a pending misdemeanor assault case arising from a June 24, 2007, confrontation outside a Kirkwood restaurant. By early 2008, his relationship with city leaders and police had deteriorated into open hostility. Investigators later concluded that the February 2008 attack had been planned and that Thornton expected to die during it.

The Attack Begins

On Thursday, February 7, 2008, the Kirkwood City Council was scheduled to hold a public meeting at City Hall on South Taylor Avenue. Approximately 30 people were gathered in the council chamber. Thornton drove to the area in a van carrying a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44-caliber revolver. Shortly before the meeting began, Thornton encountered Kirkwood Police Sergeant William Biggs in a parking area near an Imo's Pizza restaurant across the street from City Hall. Biggs was on duty and had reportedly been walking to obtain dinner. Recognizing the danger, Biggs activated an emergency signal on his police radio. Thornton then shot and killed him. After killing Biggs, Thornton took the sergeant's Smith & Wesson .40-caliber service pistol. Armed with both weapons, he crossed the street and entered Kirkwood City Hall. Biggs's emergency transmission alerted other officers, but Thornton reached the council chamber before they could stop him. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Thomas Frederick Tom Ballman 37 yr old Male

Kirkwood City Council shooting