Shots fired Sunday at Kirkwood trunk-or-treat event.Photo:KSDK News
KSDK News
As students, their parents, and faculty gathered for what was meant to bea fun eventover the weekend, things quickly took a turn for the worse.
On Sunday, locals arrived at Tillman Elementary School just before 5 p.m. for atrunk-or-treatpre-Halloween celebration in the parking lot of North Kirkwood Middle School in the 11200 block of Manchester Road in Missouri.
While speaking toFox 2, Kirkwood School District spokeswoman Steph Deidrick said, “An individual came on the scene and there was a shots fired incident.”
She added that the shooter was restrained after “individuals at the event subdued the individual.” Deidrick also specified that no students suffered any physical injuries.
According to theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch, Matthew McCulloch was identified as the individual who was arrested for “causing a disturbance” at the children’s event.
As of Monday afternoon, McCulloch, a St. Louis County police officer and the son of a long-time St. Louis County prosecutor, was still in police custody on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
He has been charged with four counts ofchild endangerment, five counts of armed criminal action, one count of making a terrorist threat and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, all of which are felonies.
Police Cordon tape line do not cross.Getty Images
Getty Images
“While we do not yet know all of the details, it is our understanding that our son was involved in an incident at North Kirkwood Middle School in which several shots were fired into the air. Please know that we will be eternally grateful that no one was physically injured. However, we are also painfully aware that an incident such as this can and does causesignificant emotional traumato those, especially children and their parents, who witness such an event. Our thoughts and prayers are with those victims,” Robert said.
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“This incident has had an incredibly emotional impact on so many people, including our family. We are confident that the Kirkwood Police Department will conducta complete and thorough investigationand we ask that the public and the media be patient while the investigation continues. We will have no further statement,” he continued.
On Monday, St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory said Matthew was not on duty at the time of the trunk-or-treat event and is on unpaid administrative leave as an internal investigation is conducted, perNBC 5.
Charging documents state that Matthew “aggressively approached” people who were at the children’s event and made statements such as “You are all going to die.”
Trick or Treating.Getty/Image Source
Getty/Image Source
Matthew’s attorney, Brian P. Millikan, put his trust in the Kirkwood police’s investigation while also expressing gratitude that no one was physically injured.
“We are also painfully aware that an incident such as this can and does cause significant emotional trauma to those, especially children and their parents, who witness such an event. Our thoughts and prayers are with those victims,” he shared.
Classes were canceled on Monday, theTillman Elementary School-Kirkwood School Districtsaid in a Facebook post.
source: people.com
