It’s been nearly three months since Bobby Shah, his wife, Lisa, and two sons were at a trunk-or-treat at North Kirkwood Middle School, when prosecutors say former St. Louis County Police officer Matthew McCulloch threatened people and fired shots while surrounded by children.
The event was sponsored by the Parent Teacher Organization at Tillman Elementary school, which is part of the Kirkwood School District. Hundreds of children were at the middle school, located at Geyer and Manchester roads, when the shooting happened, police said.
McCulloch was there with his family and off duty, though he had his badge and weapon on him. The Shah family had been there for mere minutes when shots were fired into the air.
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Dozens of families ran for cover, and Shah and his family were quickly split up, he said.
The active shooter training that his sons George, 9, and Henry, 12, had gotten at school kicked in as the boys instinctively ran for safety.
It was a moment of fear and chaos that will stick with him and his family forever, Shah said.
“The three things I’ll never forget [are]: All the kids knew to run. They just knew,” Shah said. The second part was just the silence. It was dead silent after those first few shots went off. And this was generally a pretty lively event.
“The third part was hearing the parents yelling for their kids not knowing where they were. You don’t forget something like that.”
Shah’s wife, Lisa, said kids were everywhere. Parents scrambled to help children who didn’t belong to them, trying to reconnect them with their parents.
“People had run for the baseball dugout,” Lisa Shah said. “A lady I work out with said she was having a birthday party for her daughter. She saw kids running and just opened her garage and let kids in. ... Nobody knew where their children were.”
No one was shot, but the gunfire sent a ripple of fear and panic through the crowd that left many traumatized.
George Shah, the youngest in the family, said he was afraid to be alone after the shooting.
“It was a bit scary to do some things alone at night or in the day maybe for like a week or two, but then eventually I got used to it and put it behind and didn’t care about it anymore,” George said. “But sometimes whenever I hear loud bangs or stuff my mind goes to that.”
His brother, Henry, said he had nightmares after the incident that have since faded.
Steph Deidrick, chief communications officer for the Kirkwood School District, said school was canceled at Tillman Elementary the day after the shooting.
However, the building was open for families, students and staff. Licensed counselors, including district counselors and social workers, professionals from the Employee Assistance Program and behavioral health counselors were on site and available, she said.
“There were also therapy dogs, local clergy members, as well as spaces for kids and adults to color and play,” Deidrick said. “Tillman students and staff returned to their typical schedule the following day.”
Deidrick said there was an increased security presence at the school after the shooting.
“This is not due to any specific concerns but instead part of our standard practice after a situation of this nature,” Deidrick said. “Students were provided with opportunities to express their feelings and hear about how we work to keep everyone safe at school.”
Court records
McCulloch, 39, started harassing people at the school event around 4:30 p.m. Oct. 15 in the parking lot at North Kirkwood Middle School, according to a police affidavit.
During an altercation with one man and his wife, McCulloch was pushed to the ground after he allegedly threatened them. That’s when McCulloch pulled up his shirt to show his gun and police badge. According to police records, he wielded a Smith & Wesson 9 mm semiautomatic handgun.
Police said he was surrounded by hundreds of children when this happened. He fired 12 shots straight into the air while shouting that “everyone would die,” police said. Numerous people, including four under the age of 17, were standing near him at the time and scrambled for safety.
School officials tried to help shelter kids who had been separated from their parents as McCulloch fired his gun, police said.
Several people tackled McCulloch and took the weapon, police said in the complaint.
Brian Millikan, McCulloch's attorney, says in court documents that his client's criminal history is clean and that he doesn’t have a history of violence against others.
Millikan said that McCulloch is not a flight risk and that he and his client agree that he is in urgent need of a mental health evaluation and treatment.
“With the proper treatment, the court can be assured he will pose no threat to the victims or the community at large,” Millikan wrote.
McCulloch became a county police officer in December 2017, the department confirmed. The St. Louis County Police Department currently has 831 commissioned officers.
Adrian Washington, a spokesperson for the department, said McCulloch was no longer an officer there as of Oct. 19.
“In a profession where we are called to keep the peace, this display of disregard for safety is concerning," said Chief Kenneth Gregory. "We are very grateful that no one was hurt.”
Family connections
McCulloch is the son of the county's previous prosecutor, Bob McCulloch, who held the position from 1991 to 2019, before Wesley Bell took office.
And Bob McCulloch’s brother is Joe McCulloch, who has been the St. Charles County prosecutor since April 2023.
“That fact has no bearing on the evidence or law relative to this case and poses no conflict to this office’s handling of the case,” said Chris King, a spokesman for the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney's office. “We are a professional office of prosecutors who review all cases in light of the evidence and the law and treat all defendants fairly, justly and equally.”
Bobby Shah said families are hoping McCulloch is not treated with favoritism due to his family ties.
“I think there’s a general sense of concern in the community that his status or his family connections or his position, we’re all concerned that that will have some bearing, you know, on the judicial system,” Shah said. “I mean, the police department here was amazing interviewing people, calling back every single person who called and left a message.
“But at this point it’s in the hands of the judicial system.”
In a statement issued the day after the gunfire, McCulloch's father, Bob, expressed gratitude that no one was injured.
“However, we also are painfully aware that an incident such as this can and does cause significant trauma to those, especially children and their parents, who witness such an event,” the statement reads. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those victims. This incident has had an incredible emotional impact on so many people, including our family.”
Grand jury indictment
According to King, the case is being handled by the independent Conviction and Incident Review Unit, which was formed in 2019 by Bell to handle cases involving police officers and other public figures.
A St. Louis County grand jury indicted McCulloch on Nov. 8 on 15 counts that include seven counts of armed criminal action, six counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of a terrorist threat and a single count of unlawful use of a weapon.
Several families present the day of the shooting are serving as witnesses in the case, including the Shahs.
At a hearing on Tuesday, McCulloch’s bond was reduced from $500,000 to $250,000, and he will now be allowed to post bail by paying 10% of that amount. St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo ruled that when he gets out of jail, he will be required to immediately report to a CenterPointe psychiatric facility in St. Charles County with 24-hour supervision and is not allowed to contact victims, his children or his ex-wife.
If he attempts to leave, records show the courts will be notified immediately and his bond will be revoked. He will also not be allowed access to firearms, alcohol or medications not prescribed to him. It wasn’t made clear how long he’ll be required to stay at the facility, but court records show he’ll be placed on house arrest for an undisclosed amount of time when he’s released.
Shah acknowledged that he can’t speak for all victims but said he’s not happy with the judge’s decision.
“It really seems like he’s being given an opportunity that not everyone being prosecuted is afforded,” Shah said Wednesday. “It’s a chance for his attorney to build a case that he’s safe to be back in the community. Even a house arrest in Defiance can’t stop him if he’s determined to harm someone.”
McCulloch’s next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 19 at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Clayton.
