During a weekend gathering meant to be enjoyable for students, their parents, and faculty, things took a terrifying turn. On Sunday, local folks showed up at Tillman Elementary School just before 5 p.m. for a pre-Halloween "trunk-or-treat" celebration in the parking lot of North Kirkwood Middle School on Manchester Road in Missouri.
While talking to Fox 2, Kirkwood School District spokeswoman Steph Deidrick explained, "An individual arrived, and there was an incident involving gunshots." She mentioned that the person responsible was quickly subdued by others at the event and emphasized that no students were physically harmed.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the person causing the disturbance was identified as Matthew McCulloch. Several adults attending the trunk-or-treat event intervened by tackling him until law enforcement arrived. As of Monday afternoon, McCulloch, a St. Louis County police officer and the son of a long-time St. Louis County prosecutor, remained in police custody on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
He's facing multiple serious charges, including child endangerment, armed criminal action, making a terrorist threat, and unlawful use of a weapon, all of which are felonies. Matthew's father, former St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch, released a statement regarding the incident involving his son, expressing gratitude that no one was physically hurt and requesting patience as the investigation proceeds.
On Monday, St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory confirmed that Matthew was off-duty during the trunk-or-treat event and has been placed on unpaid administrative leave while an internal investigation takes place.
Charging documents indicate that Matthew aggressively approached people at the event, making threatening statements and firing a handgun into the air while brandishing a badge. The incident occurred with numerous children present, causing significant emotional distress to witnesses.
Matthew's attorney, Brian P. Millikan, expressed sympathy for the emotional trauma experienced by those who witnessed the event. He also placed trust in the Kirkwood police's investigation. Classes were canceled on Monday, as announced by the Tillman Elementary School-Kirkwood School District on Facebook.
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