The brother of Charles Lee “Cookie” Thornton, who allegedly walked into the Kirkwood city hall today and shot seven people, including the mayor, two city council people, and two police officers, told Channel 4 News tonight that he is “okay” with what his brother did.

“Let me put it in a context that you might understand,” Gerald Thornton told the reporter. “My brother went to war tonight with the people that were of the government that was putting torment and strife into his life.”

The following statement comes from the Organization for Black Struggle:

“All We Want is Justice!” That was the last statement made by Charles “Cookie” Thorton before he opened fire in Kirkwood City Hall.

The tragedy in Kirkwood, MO where six people lost their lives is a result of the continuation of racial tensions that bubble and erupt. The Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) is saddened by the preventable loss of life and the impending sorrow that will grip the affected families and community. We hope that the City will seriously begin to address the racism and deep feelings of disenfranchisement by African-Americans who reside in Meacham Park.

OBS Chair Jamala Rogers talked with Thornton last year as the trial of Kevin Johnson was underway. Johnson was on trial for the 2005 murder of Kirkwood police officer William McEntee. “Cookie Thornton was adamant that he was not going to be intimidated, disrespected or dismissed by the City,” stated Rogers, “and as a black man in America, that has consequences.” Rogers encouraged Thornton to stand up to the injustices but also cautioned him to be careful. Most of Thornton’s protest actions were solo including his interaction with the courts where he served as his own legal counsel.

OBS urges the Mayor and Police Chief to take some leadership and immediately bring the community together to resolve divisive and deadly issues which keep getting glossed over. Beefing up security in City Hall is merely a bandaid for a festering cancer in the City of Kirkwood.

According to a story published just today on FirstAmendmentCenter.org, Charles Lee “Cookie” Thornton, who allegedly walked into the Kirkwood City Hall and shot seven people, including Mayor Mike Swoboda, had just lost a federal court case in which he claimed his First Amendment rights were violated after he was removed from Kirkwood City Council meetings for “repetitive, personal, virulent attacks” against council members.From FirstAmendmentCenter.org:

A federal judge in Missouri has rejected the First Amendment claims of a man removed from Kirkwood City Council meetings for “repetitive, personal, virulent attacks” against council members. Charles Lee Thornton had sued the city of Kirkwood after he was arrested twice (and later convicted) for disorderly conduct at two council meetings in 2006.In May 2006, Thornton had the opportunity to speak during the public-comment portion of a council meeting that addressed the expansion of two businesses — a funeral home and a senior living facility. During the time reserved to discuss the funeral home, Thornton rose to speak about what he alleged was personal harassment of him by city officials, not the expansion of the business. He displayed a large poster with a picture of a donkey and made intemperate remarks about the mayor. Thornton then warned the funeral home owner that the city had a “plantation-mentality” and “jackass-like qualities.”Thornton engaged in similar conduct after the presentation about the senior living center. He said the mayor was “sitting there looking stupid.” The mayor eventually ordered Thornton to leave the podium and called the police. When the police came to the podium, Thornton sat on the floor and refused to leave. He was arrested and later convicted of disorderly conduct. He has appealed his conviction to a state appeals court.Similar events occurred at a June 2006 City Council meeting. During the public-comment portion, Thornton was allowed to speak, at which point he began: “Jackass, jackass, jackass … .” Eventually the mayor asked the police to remove Thornton, who again sat on the floor. Once again he was arrested and convicted of disorderly conduct.Thornton later filed a federal lawsuit, contending that his First Amendment rights had been violated. U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry disagreed in her Jan. 28, 2008, opinion in Thornton v. City of Kirkwood. She applied a forum analysis, determining that the public comment portion of the meetings constituted a limited designated public forum that the city could reserve for certain groups and topics of discussion. She did not find the public-comment period to be a traditional public forum in which government restrictions on speech must pass strict scrutiny — the highest form of judicial review.She noted that there was substantial confusion in the lower courts over the terms “limited public forum” and “designated public forum.” Perry ruled that a limited designated public forum is a subclass of a designated public forum in which restrictions on speech must be reasonable and viewpoint-neutral.“As the meeting was a limited designated public forum, Kirkwood had the right to restrict the topic of discussion to the expansion of two businesses,” Perry wrote. Rather than addressing germane subject matter, “Thornton engaged in personal attacks against the mayor, Kirkwood, and the city council.“Any restrictions on Thornton’s speech were reasonable, viewpoint neutral, and served important governmental interests,” Perry wrote. “Because Thornton does not have a First Amendment right to engage in irrelevant debate and to voice repetitive, personal, virulent attacks against Kirkwood and its city officials during the comment portion of a city council public hearing, his claim fails as a matter of law.”

Thanks to Bushido Hacks for the link.

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Gov. Matt Blunt has issued the following statement:

“Tonight our fellow Missourians in the city of Kirkwood were terrorized by a senseless and horrific crime at an open government meeting. We know at this hour that this crime has resulted in the loss of life and an investigation is under way.  “The men and women of Highway Patrol Troop C responded to the reports of the shooting and were on the scene to assist the Kirkwood Police Department and St. Louis County law enforcement. I have directed the Highway Patrol to provide whatever resources are needed to assist local law enforcement in response to this horrific crime. “I join Missourians tonight in praying for the victims, their families and friends, and everyone in the community of Kirkwood.” 

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