Gunman kills five in Missouri city hall

By Tim Parker

KIRKWOOD, Missouri (Reuters) - A gunman killed two police officers and three city officials on Thursday night when he stormed into a city council meeting in a suburb of St. Louis, police said.

The gunman, who was later shot dead by police, was identified by witnesses as 52-year-old Charles "Cookie" Thornton, a contractor in a feud with local officials. Police declined to confirm his identity.

He killed one police officer in the parking lot outside the city hall building in Kirkwood, Missouri, before rushing in as the meeting was getting under way.

"He kept saying something about, 'Shoot the mayor' and he just walked around shooting anybody he could," said Janet McNichols, a reporter covering the meeting for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper.

Police said he shot dead a second police officer, and two council members and a city engineer.

A city attorney fended off the gunman by throwing chairs at him, according to witnesses at the meeting that was attended by roughly 30 people.

Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda was shot in the head and was in critical condition and another reporter suffered a hand wound.

Thornton was well-known for his erratic behavior in Kirkwood, an upscale suburb of 25,000 people about 15 miles southwest of St. Louis.