Reporter Wounded in Missouri Shooting in Stable Condition

By: Emily Vaughan Todd Smith, the Kirkwood-Webster (Mo.) Journal reporter who was shot in the hand last night at a Kirkwood City Council meeting where six people were killed, will undergo surgery this afternoon at the St. John?s Mercy Hospital, according to Dave Bundy, editorial director at Suburban Journals, who manages the Kirkwood community paper.

Bundy spent much of the day at the hospital with Smith. While his condition is stable, his hand will need pins to mend some broken bones sustained in the shooting. The reporter and other shooting victims have received a lot of community support.

?I was astounded at the number of people who came in to give support who weren?t friends or family, but just went to a lot of meetings,? Bundy said. Kirkwood is a politically active community and a lot of people knew Smith and the council members in the shooting.

?On the one hand we have Todd, and we?re trying to keep him comfortable,? Bundy said. ?And on the other hand we?ve got everyone working on keeping the community informed.?

Suburban Journals pulled resources from other community papers to cover the shooting and keep people up to date. According to Bundy the community is shocked. Smith has covered the Kirkwood city council since May of 2007.

For now, Smith has got a positive attitude and isn?t experiencing any pain, Bundy reported, but he isn?t talking about the shooting yet.

?The first challenge is that people he had come to know and respect are dead,? Bundy said. ?He sat in a lot of council meetings with the guy who pulled the trigger.?

According to a report on the Suburban Journal?s Web site, suburbanjournals.stltoday.com, the shooter, identified as Charles Thornton, had attended council meetings in relation to a citation for running a construction business from his home without the correct permits. He also had parking violations. Thornton had recently sued the city for violation of his First Amendment rights when the council enforced their time limits for speakers.

In the meantime, the paper is continuing coverage, and helping the tight-knit community cope with the tragedy. ?We have a vested interest in getting the community back to what it was,? Bundy said.