Deadly shooting prompts soul-searching in Kirkwood
By: Lanz Christian Bañes, Nikole M. Brown and Amanda King
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: Kirkwood
"I know now that he had financial problems that haunted him also," said Gerald Thornton, Cookie's older brother.
Gerald, 54, is disabled and was financially dependant on Thornton. They lived together with their mother at 351 Attucks St. in Meacham Park.
Thornton believed that the fines amassed against him by the city of Kirkwood were unfair and discriminatory, said Franklin McCallie, former Kirkwood High School principal and longtime friend of Thornton's.
Thornton owned a contracting and demolition business based in Meacham Park. During the years, the city issued 16 tickets for parking violations involving his construction and demolition machinery, each carrying a hefty fine.
In an effort to calm what he saw as irrational behavior on behalf of Thornton, McCallie took it upon himself to review the contractor's parking tickets.
After going over the tickets with Public Works Director Ken Yost, McCallie gave the news to Thornton.
"(The tickets) were not discriminatory at all for racist reasons," McCallie said. "He broke the rules on where he placed his machinery, and I told him so."
Yost and McCallie discovered that one ticket had been inappropriately issued to Thornton.
In addition to the tickets, Thornton recently lost a court case against the city in which he claimed his First Amendment rights had been violated.
Black and white,
rich and poor
The quintuple murders committed by Thornton have forced Kirkwood to reexamine the racial and class implications of the crime.
"While we are in the same location, we are separated," Gerald said.
At a Feb. 10 vigil in Douglass Memorial Church of God our Christ, the mostly black congregation expressed its anger at how Thornton has been vilified by the media.
"The media, so far, has been putting a spin on everything, trying to cause division," said the Rev. Larry Addison of Douglass Memorial. "They've been doing that since day one."
Thornton's brother echoed the sentiment.
Gerald, 54, is disabled and was financially dependant on Thornton. They lived together with their mother at 351 Attucks St. in Meacham Park.
Thornton believed that the fines amassed against him by the city of Kirkwood were unfair and discriminatory, said Franklin McCallie, former Kirkwood High School principal and longtime friend of Thornton's.
Thornton owned a contracting and demolition business based in Meacham Park. During the years, the city issued 16 tickets for parking violations involving his construction and demolition machinery, each carrying a hefty fine.
In an effort to calm what he saw as irrational behavior on behalf of Thornton, McCallie took it upon himself to review the contractor's parking tickets.
After going over the tickets with Public Works Director Ken Yost, McCallie gave the news to Thornton.
"(The tickets) were not discriminatory at all for racist reasons," McCallie said. "He broke the rules on where he placed his machinery, and I told him so."
Yost and McCallie discovered that one ticket had been inappropriately issued to Thornton.
In addition to the tickets, Thornton recently lost a court case against the city in which he claimed his First Amendment rights had been violated.
Black and white,
rich and poor
The quintuple murders committed by Thornton have forced Kirkwood to reexamine the racial and class implications of the crime.
"While we are in the same location, we are separated," Gerald said.
At a Feb. 10 vigil in Douglass Memorial Church of God our Christ, the mostly black congregation expressed its anger at how Thornton has been vilified by the media.
"The media, so far, has been putting a spin on everything, trying to cause division," said the Rev. Larry Addison of Douglass Memorial. "They've been doing that since day one."
Thornton's brother echoed the sentiment.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Doug
posted 2/14/08 @ 8:37 PM CST
Claiming that this inexcusable act of violence is because of racism is the most absurd thing I have ever heard! So he received dozens of parking tickets? How on earth is that anyone's fault but his, and how is it racism?? Thornton's brother and mother are delusional. (Continued…)
jennifer
posted 3/14/08 @ 11:05 PM CST
that was my principles ex husband!!!!!
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