I was born and raised in the suburbs of DC but I want your readers to learn more about my other hometown, Kirkwood, MO. Over the past three years we have had our share of negative national media attention. In 2005, a police sergeant was lured into a fatal ambush by a distraught young man who felt police did not do enough to assist with a family tragedy earlier in the day. The perpetrator is now on death row. In 2007 child predator Michael Devlin made national news after he was found living in our midst with two kidnapped boys. On Thursday night a deranged gunman, upset with city government shot and killed two police officers, two city council members and a city employee. He also wounded our mayor and a local reporter before being killed by police officers responding to calls for help.

This is not our town! Kirkwood is a small city of 27,000 outside St. Louis. When I moved here for work in 2002 I was looking for a good place for my wife and I to raise our son. A place with tree lined streets, good schools, many amenities and a central business district I call “Main Street USA” all within walking distance of my home. We are a community which just celebrated a 100 year high school football rivalry with neighboring Webster Groves, Mo.  A town where University of Missouri star athlete Jeremy Macklin keeps in contact with a young elementary school student struggling with written expression. Where the late Skip Barthelmass would routinely bring refreshments to the scene of a fire for our city’s first responders. A close knit town willing to open their arms to outsiders. A town that came together by the hundreds last Friday night at church services and a candle light vigil in our town center across the street from where the horrific events happened. A place called Kirkwood.

For the most part our town is that peaceful slice of Americana many of us yearn for with parades, the church fish fry, bake sales, block parties, Halloween trick-or-treat with our local merchants and where everybody knows everybody. Yet today we are reminded of the problems and tragedies that always seem to happen “somewhere else”. This week Kirkwood is that somewhere else. But the victims are all very real people. Some I knew personally, others only by face or reputation. I grieve for their families. I grieve for my family. I grieve for my community.

The feud between Charles Thornton and city officials began long before I moved here. I do not claim to know all the history of what led a man over the edge that night. Though he may have been driven by his perceived persecution by local government, with an alleged racial component, our town is too strong to be defined by such actions.  I do know our community will come together, rebuild shattered lives, solve our problems and continue to make Kirkwood a great place to live. Kirkwoodians will set an example that all Americans can be proud of as we address many issues across this great country. Please pray for our town as we make this hard journey together.

Steve Hazan,

Proud resident of Kirkwood, MO