Cop accused of firing shots at trunk-or-treat said attendees were ‘all going to die’

By Dana Rieck

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    KIRKWOOD, Missouri (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) — A St. Louis County cop told people at an elementary school Halloween event they were “all going to die” before firing about a dozen shots in the air, according to court documents released Monday.

Attendees frantically ran for cover and tried to shelter children who had been separated from their parents, authorities said.

Matthew McCulloch, 39, was charged on Monday with 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 of which are felonies.

He joined the St. Louis County Police Department as an officer in late December 2017 and is the son of former St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch.

The incident started Sunday afternoon at a trunk-or-treat event for Tillman Elementary School in the parking lot of North Kirkwood Middle School, according to court documents. Hundreds of children and adults were there.

McCulloch arrived around 4:30 p.m.

Police said he approached several people and made death threats. Someone eventually shoved McCulloch after he threatened the person and their wife, an affidavit said.

He then fell to the pavement and, while surrounded by “hundreds of children,” stood up and pulled up his shirt to display a handgun and badge, the affidavit said.

McCulloch then fired into the air at least a dozen times while shouting again that everyone would die, police said.

Several people tackled McCulloch and took his gun from him, according to court documents.

No one was injured.

McCulloch’s family has held leadership positions for decades in local law enforcement. His father, Bob McCulloch, served 28 years as St. Louis County’s elected prosecutor before losing his reelection bid in 2018. His uncle, Joseph McCulloch, is a retired St. Louis city police officer and was appointed earlier this year as the top prosecutor in St. Charles County. His grandfather, Paul McCulloch, was also a police officer and was killed while on duty in a shootout in 1964.

Attorney Brian P. Millikan said he is representing Matthew McCulloch in the case and provided a statement from the McCulloch family, who said they have confidence in Kirkwood police to investigate the shooting and that they were grateful no one was hurt.

”We are also painfully aware that an incident such as this can and does cause significant emotional trauma to those, especially children and their parents, who witness such an event,” the statement read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those victims.”

St. Louis County police Chief Kenneth Gregory also said in a statement he was grateful no one was hurt.

”We were disappointed to learn that the actions of one of our officers caused a disturbance in the city of Kirkwood on Sunday,” he said. “In a profession where we are called to keep the peace, this display of disregard for safety is concerning.”

Matthew McCulloch’s wife filed for divorce in March. They were married Oct. 12, 2013, and separated last October, according to court filings. They have two elementary school-aged children.

School was canceled Monday at Tillman, Kirkwood School District officials said. The building was open until 1 p.m. for anyone who needs support from counselors or social workers.

”It’s sad,” Steph Deidrick, a spokeswoman for the Kirkwood School District, said Monday afternoon. “And it is never something we want our families to have to go through. At the same time, our priority very much becomes focused on what resources we can provide to ensure students, families and staff feel safe.”

She said the school expected to be back to a regular schedule Tuesday.

St. Louis County police said McCulloch was on unpaid administrative leave following the shooting.

He remained in police custody Monday afternoon on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

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