A celebratory trunk-or-treat event at Tillman Elementary School took a horrifying twist on Sunday when an individual opened fire, inciting fear among the students, parents, and faculty present. The incident unfolded at the school’s parking lot, where the school community had gathered for the festive event.
The Kirkwood School District spokesperson reported that a person arrived at the location and started shooting. However, the attendees’ quick response helped subdue the shooter before any physical harm could be inflicted on the students. The spokesperson further confirmed that no students were physically harmed during the incident.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch identified the shooter as Matthew McCulloch, who was subsequently taken into custody for causing a disturbance at the children’s event. McCulloch is a St. Louis County police officer and the son of a former St. Louis County prosecutor.
McCulloch is now facing serious charges, including four counts of child endangerment, five counts of armed criminal action, one count of making a terrorist threat, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. All these charges are classified as felonies.
Robert McCulloch, Matthew’s father and a former St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, issued a statement acknowledging his son’s involvement in the incident. He expressed relief that no physical injuries occurred but recognized the significant emotional trauma such an event can cause, especially for children and their parents.
St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory confirmed that Matthew was not on duty during the incident and is currently on unpaid administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Charging documents reveal that Matthew aggressively approached attendees at the event, making threatening statements and firing his weapon into the air.
Tags: Tillman Elementary School, trunk-or-treat event, shooting, Matthew McCulloch, St. Louis County Police, child endangerment, armed criminal action, terrorist threat, unlawful use of weapon, emotional trauma, Kenneth Gregory, internal investigation.