2008 Woodie Awards
Victim, killer attended University
Julie Williams
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: News
A fatal shooting at a Kirkwood, Mo. City Council meeting Feb. 7 included two ties to Truman.
Sgt. Tom Ballman, a Kirkwood police officer and former Northeast Missouri State University student, was killed when fellow alumnus Charles "Cookie" Thornton opened fire at the meeting. Ballman had served nine years with the Kirkwood Police Department.
Kerry Walker, who graduated from Northeast in 1991, said he was surprised to see Ballman's picture on the news following the shooting, and the pieces fell into place for him after that.
"I was surprised when I saw his face on the TV, and it just had the jogging feeling in the memory like, 'I know that guy from somewhere,'" he said.
Although he hadn't been in contact with Ballman since graduating, Walker said he remembers him for his strong presence in the NEMO Singers, a group that still is active at Truman but now goes by the name Cantoria.
"He had a very low range, and when we would have those occasions where someone was on a very low note, you could definitely count on him to be there," Walker said. "In some cases it might seem like he was the only one really there singing with enough volume to be heard."
Walker said he remembers Ballman being built like a football player and that to a stranger he might have appeared to be involved in sports rather than choir. He said he doesn't remember spending much time with Ballman outside of NEMO Singers but he always appeared to be a cheerful, good-humored guy.
Officer Tracy Panus of the St. Louis County Police Department said Thornton first shot Sgt. William Biggs on Thursday evening before taking Biggs' gun and walking about half a block to Kirkwood City Hall.
"We're not sure exactly what took place between the two of them," Panus said.
Thornton then walked into council chambers holding a sign in front of him, and Panus said he then shot and killed Ballman, two City Councilmembers and the Kirkwood Public Works director. Two other individuals also were injured during the shooting. Two Kirkwood Police officers then shot and killed Thornton.
Sgt. Tom Ballman, a Kirkwood police officer and former Northeast Missouri State University student, was killed when fellow alumnus Charles "Cookie" Thornton opened fire at the meeting. Ballman had served nine years with the Kirkwood Police Department.
Kerry Walker, who graduated from Northeast in 1991, said he was surprised to see Ballman's picture on the news following the shooting, and the pieces fell into place for him after that.
"I was surprised when I saw his face on the TV, and it just had the jogging feeling in the memory like, 'I know that guy from somewhere,'" he said.
Although he hadn't been in contact with Ballman since graduating, Walker said he remembers him for his strong presence in the NEMO Singers, a group that still is active at Truman but now goes by the name Cantoria.
"He had a very low range, and when we would have those occasions where someone was on a very low note, you could definitely count on him to be there," Walker said. "In some cases it might seem like he was the only one really there singing with enough volume to be heard."
Walker said he remembers Ballman being built like a football player and that to a stranger he might have appeared to be involved in sports rather than choir. He said he doesn't remember spending much time with Ballman outside of NEMO Singers but he always appeared to be a cheerful, good-humored guy.
Officer Tracy Panus of the St. Louis County Police Department said Thornton first shot Sgt. William Biggs on Thursday evening before taking Biggs' gun and walking about half a block to Kirkwood City Hall.
"We're not sure exactly what took place between the two of them," Panus said.
Thornton then walked into council chambers holding a sign in front of him, and Panus said he then shot and killed Ballman, two City Councilmembers and the Kirkwood Public Works director. Two other individuals also were injured during the shooting. Two Kirkwood Police officers then shot and killed Thornton.
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