Gunman kills five in Missouri city hall

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...

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. .

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.