Yep...Another "Gun-Free Zone" Shooting

Gunman Opens Fire at Missouri City Council Meeting

KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- A gunman opened fire at a city council meeting in this St. Louis suburb Thursday night, hitting the mayor and several city officials, a newspaper reported. There are reports that six people, including two police officers, have been killed.

Police shot the gunman, who had hit Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which had a reporter at the meeting.

Also shot were a police officer, council members Michael H.T. Lynch and Connie Karr, and Public Works Director Kenneth Yost, said the reporter, Janet McNichols.

The victims were taken to St. John's Mercy Hospital, but Kirkwood police told The Associated Press no one was available to provide information. St. Louis County police did not return several calls.

The reporter said the 7 p.m. meeting had just started when the gunman rushed into the council chambers yelling and opened fire with at least one weapon. He started yelling "shoot the mayor" while walking around and firing, hitting a police officer first, the reporter said.

"You see, you don't need to be armed in here. We have armed police officers in here to protect you."

Note, that is the same "logic" being used by NH State Representative Eleanor Kjellman in her quest to disarm everyone visiting the State House in Concord. The shooter knew that the biggest threat to his ability to carry out his murderous rampage was the presence of another armed individual. And, since that person was a police officer, and not a citizen carrying a concealed weapon, he was an easy target for a the shooter to identify and shoot at first.

Yet, she would have you believe that a "welcome desk" with a sign-in sheet and a "No Guns Allowed" sign would have prevented such a violent act from taking place.

Yeah, on her home planet maybe. Not here on Earth.

McNichols also said the shooter fired at the city attorney, who tried to fight off the attacker by throwing chairs. The gunman then moved behind a desk where the council sits and fired at council members.

I'll bet that guy wished he had more than few pieces of furniture with which to defend himself.

Now, this next item will truly shock your socks off.

From the City of Kirkwood's PERSONNEL RULES AND REGULATIONS:

ARTICLE XIX - WORKPLACE VIOLENCE POLICY

Overview:

The City of Kirkwood is concerned about the increased violence in society, which has also filtered into many workplaces throughout the United States, and has taken steps to help prevent incidents of violence from occurring at the City. In this connection, it is the policy of the City to expressly prohibit any acts or threats of violence by any City employee against any other employee in or about the City’s facilities or elsewhere at any time. The City also will not condone any acts or threats of violence against the City’s employees, customers or visitors on the City’s premises at any time or while they are engaged in business with or on behalf of the City, on or off the City’s premises.

Objectives:

In keeping with the spirit and intent of this policy, it is the stated commitment of the City of Kirkwood:

1. To provide a safe and healthful work environment;

2. To take prompt remedial action up to and including immediate termination, against any employee who engages in any threatening behavior or acts of violence or uses any obscene, abusive or threatening language or gestures;

3. To take appropriate action when dealing with customers, former employees or visitors to the City’s property who engage in such behavior. Such action may include notifying the police or other law enforcement personnel and prosecuting violators of this policy to the maximum extent of the law. The City intends to use all reasonable legal, managerial, administrative and disciplinary procedures to secure the workplace from violence and to reasonably protect employees from harm;

4. To prohibit employees, former employees, customers and visitors from bringing unauthorized firearms or other weapons onto the City’s premises; and

5. To establish a procedure for reporting a complaint of workplace violence and investigating any complaint of workplace violence.

Well, that all worked just swimmingly, didn't it?

I'm sure they'll be mentioning the "gun-free zone" aspect of this story on the Today Show tomorrow morning. Just like I'm sure my "Get rich quick by shitting gold bars" plan will be coming to fruition soon.

UPDATE: More from CNN.com:

The shootings began shortly after 7 p.m. just outside the Kirkwood City Hall when a man approached a police officer in the parking lot of the Kirkwood police station and fatally shot him, Panus said. The officer died at the scene.

The suspect then went into the City Council chambers and killed a second police officer before fatally shooting three city officials who were attending the meeting, Panus said.

Boy, if only they had a welcome desk with a sign-in sheet.

Gun Control: Because someone intent of murdering two police officers in cold blood would never contemplate stealing a firearm or buying one on the black market. That's illegal.

UPDATE II: Sailorcurt points out that City Council members are allowed to carry a concealed firearm with "a valid concealed carry endorsement", but that ordinary citizens, even if licensed to carry, are prohibited from doing so.

As for psychopathic, loonie-bin fruitballs who want to "go to war" with the city government? Well, I guess that particular ordinance doesn't apply.

UPDATE III: Here's the link to the city ordinance mentioned above. It lists all the "gun-free zones" in Kirkwood, most notably, for the purpose of this discussion:

Sec. 17‑132. Concealed weapons.

(a) No person who has been issued a concealed carry endorsement by the Missouri Director of Revenue under Section 571.094 R.S.Mo. or who has been issued a valid permit or endorsement to carry concealed firearms issued by another state or political subdivision of another state, shall, by authority of that endorsement or permit, be allowed to carry a concealed firearm or to openly carry a firearm into:

[...]

(4) Any meeting of the Kirkwood City Council, except that nothing in this subdivision shall preclude a member of the Kirkwood City Council, holding a valid concealed carry endorsement, from carrying a concealed firearm at a meeting of the City Council provided that it is not otherwise prohibited herein. Possession of a firearm in a vehicle on the premises shall not be a criminal offense so long as the firearm is not removed from the vehicle or brandished while the vehicle is on the premises;

What do you know, the ordinance really does make no mention of psychopathic, loonie-bin fruitballs. It specifically outlaws the carrying of firearms by CCW permit holders only.

Nice.