CREVE COEUR — Municipal leaders from throughout the St. Louis region gathered Saturday at St. John's Mercy Medical Center to mourn for public servants killed in a Kirkwood City Hall shooting rampage and to support wounded Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda.

Elsewhere at St. John's, Swoboda, 69, remained in critical condition from gunshot wounds he suffered in Thursday night's attack, a hospital spokesman said.

"This is a time of loss for all of us," said Hazelwood Mayor T.R. Carr, president of the St. Louis County Municipal League, which organized the prayer service. "Citizens have a right to petition. We have a civic society, and citizens have a right to bring their petition before government. We have open access.

"On occasion, we pay the price for that open access. The price in some cases is very, very high."

Pastor Dave Greiner of Chatham Bible Church in Hazelwood, where he is a volunteer police chaplain, said municipal leaders are needed to unify and support those who are grieving.

"I am reminded that you all occupy your positions for a specific purpose," Greiner said. "And now is not the time to resign. Now is not the time to run, or quit."

At the service — attended by about 80 people — Greiner read the names of city officials who were killed in the shooting rampage: Councilwoman Connie Karr, 51; Councilman Michael H.T. Lynch, 63; police Sgt. William Biggs, 50; police Officer Tom Ballman, 37; and Public Works Director Ken Yost, 61.

Todd Smith, a Suburban Journals reporter who was shot in the hand at Thursday night's meeting, remained at the hospital Saturday in satisfactory condition.

There was no mention of attacker Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton, who was killed by police gunfire after he shot the others.

Several paid tribute to Swoboda, who was shot twice in the head by Thornton. Midway through the service, Swoboda's wife, Sue, thanked the local leaders for their outpouring of support.

Kirkwood Deputy Mayor Tim Griffin told those in attendance, "God willing, Mike will recover. I know what he would say to everyone here is, continue. Mike would say continue because what we do is so important in the communities we live in. I mean, it is just so important. We're not important. What we do is important."

Kirkwood officials later declined to provide any new details on Mike Swoboda's condition, and a family spokesman could not be reached for comment. But around Kirkwood, some residents had pitched lawn signs reading: "Come on Mike, win one more."

Swoboda, after two terms as mayor, was not running in the April election.

After Saturday's service, several municipal leaders planned to gather to talk about ways to aid the shaken city of Kirkwood, particularly during the funerals for those who were slain.

kleiser@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8215