Charles ‘Cookie’ Thornton opened fire at a city council meeting in Kirkwood, Missouri (MO), tonight killing five people, including two police officers. Thornton was then killed by police officers in attendance.

A total of seven people were shot, including the mayor and several city officials, before police shot and killed the gunman, though it is unclear which officials are among the dead.

The gunman was identified as Charles Lee “Cookie” Thornton by a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter who was attending the meeting.

MyFOXStLouis, citing a local newspaper, reports that Thornton had a history of disruptive activity at council meetings. Thornton, a local contractor and a black man, repeatedly accused the city of racism and discrimination in citing him for unlicensed work, and he even sued the city for civil rights violations but recently lost the suit, the TV station reported.

Thornton shot seven people in all. The Kirkwood mayor Mike Swoboda is in critical condition. One of the dead is city councilwoman Connie Karr. Suburan Journals reporter Todd Smith was injured in the attack. One police officer was shot and killed outside the meeting before Thornton entered.