Tragedy in Kirkwood

In what can only be called a tragic and deplorable act, Charles Lee “Cookie” Thornton went on a rampage at a Kirkwood city council meeting, killing 5 people (two policemen and three city officials) and critically injuring the mayor.

Here are a few links to the story:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/08/city.council.shooting/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080208/ap_on_re_us/missouri_shooting

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/us/08missouri.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1202619600&en=ad5d7150e39653ae&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/DF9F175C2F225844862573E9001BDB9A?OpenDocument

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=139898

I have sympathy towards the family and friends of everybody involved, even Mr Thornton’s family. I heard several times last night that he was the kind of person just about anybody would want as a friend, but in the last several months something had changed. Nobody could put a finger on it, but his mood and personality changed. Did his family have any inkling what he was about to do? Mr. Thornton's brother seems to feel as though the city council brought it on themselves because their actions.

I could say somebody should have done something, but what and when? It is always easy to sit back with the television remote and proclaim with 20/20 backwards vision what should have or could have happened. To be honest, when I first heard about the shootings last night I thought that maybe they were in retaliation to the Kevin Johnson trial, since that is the only thing I could think of where emotions have been running high. It doesn’t matter the community you live you, anything like this is a shock to the societal system.

The weekend is looking busy for us as a family. My daughter’s birthday party is Saturday and we’re going to a Valentine’s Day dinner at the Scottish Rite on Sunday. And sometime over the weekend I am going to pop the cork on the first batch of beer I’ve brewed in a number of years. It’s a double chocolate stout and it smelled great when we were bottling it. Take it easy out there and enjoy the nice weather while it lasts!

Update: Definitely losing respect for the family of Mr Thornton when his mother and brother in interviews with media say city council deserved what they got for harrassing him. Looks like the harrassment came in the form of getting tickets for illegally parked cars and fines for not obtaining the proper permits and licenses needed for the work he was doing. Also, the change in Mr. Thornton apparently had been observed over the last two years, not months as I had thought I originally heard. Also, there are reports that the family saw Mr. Thorton take his gun out and they knew he was heading to the city council meeting. If true, and I emphasis the point since it is hearsay at this point, would that not make them somewhat responsible for not stopping him.