Its soon, but I have to weigh in on this one.
First, I am not a kirkwood resident, but live in a nearby and very similar municipality, and I am an in a profession that often times forces me to attend these city meetings, including kirkwood. I am also permitted to carry a concealed weapon.
Firstly, while I carry 4 out of 5 work days, I always leave my weapon locked in the truck when I attend these municipal meetings, its the law, and I do not want to jeopardize my right or others right to carry by violating this law. That being said, had I been there, I would/could have reduced the fatalities, its part of the concealed carry training; you stay vigilant.
Unfortunately, I most likely would have been either A) mistaken as the assailant and shot by the police, and/or B) lost my permit for carrying/using in a government building and could have left myself open to being prosecuted for murder (someone losing their life while I was in the process of committing a crime by carrying).
Cookie probably was not concerned with attendees carrying concealed weapons, partly because most people do not carry, because it is illegal to carry there, etc. but mostly because he was prepared to die.
On a second topic, having dealt with Kirkwood before, but not knowing cookie or the specifics of his case. . . .and being considerate that this level of violence is inexcusable for whatever wrong. . . I expect that some truths will come out over the next several weeks.
Ask anyone in development, contracting, zoning, architectural, etc. and they will tell you that Kirkwood is practically socialist. The authorities within Kirkwood think that it is their right to tell you what you can plant, what you can build, what you can paint, where/how you can park, when you can open for business etc. etc. etc. more than any other municipality. There are far too many busy-bodies within the community that feel it is their right to tell you what you can do to your property or within their view. Its sick.
I expect that what will be discovered is that Cookie was, indeed, singled out for poor treatment from Kirkwood and their powers. I, like one of the other posters, assumed that the assailant was a white man when i first heard the news, so I do not believe that Kirkwood was racially motivated, though they do "find" an awful lot of "violations" within meechum park. . . .
He exhausted his legal remedies, though I'm told he would have been successful if he used a competent attorney in any of his cases, and he became fed up. There is no excuse for his actions, but I believe it will come out that his plight is a similar plight felt by hundreds of other home and business owners in Kirkwood. The heavy hand of the busy bodies in and close to kirkwood government is socialist and corrupt, there are only so many ways to fight the system.
Lastly, I am sick and tired of the sanctimonious Kirkwood Residents who snobbily defend their city and insult others. Within the last three years, you have had considerable racial tension, brought on by city policies and culminating in multiple deaths, a child molester bring national news to our town, a contractor go ballistic based on being wronged and an accused (but thankfully acquitted) child molesting priest represented as the "grief counselor" to the community during the aftermath. You are not just in the same shape as the rest of the municipalities, you are worse.
If someone far away were to tune into national news and pay attention to the stories that have come out of Kirkwood, they would believe that Kirkwood was the Compton of St. Louis.
