Swat teams as firefighter killed--not far from my office

**Dan D. Doty** · 07-21-2008, 10:28 PM

I believe from now on this is going to become more common place in urban areas.

SLW, if you can move out of Saint Louis.

**SaintLouieWoman** · 07-21-2008, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by Dan D. Doty

I believe from now on this is going to become more common place in urban areas.

SLW, if you can move out of Saint Louis.

I live in the 'burbs, but work in the city. Starting to rethink my line of work.

**Bill inGA** · 07-22-2008, 10:18 AM

[QUOTE=SaintLouieWoman;22325]Firefighter dead, 2 police officers shot in Maplewood

A sharpshooter with the Missouri Highway Patrol waits on alert on the porch of a house on the 7400 block of Zephyr Place this morning as a gunman remains holed up in the area.
(Christian Gooden/P-D)

SLW, this picture of the police could land you jail... If we have learned anything from the DUmps RIM job.

**Bill inGA** · 07-22-2008, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by asdf2231

Have they gotten anywhere near to figuring out WHY this happened?

[DU mode]
Do you really have to ask? This was obviously caused by Bush. See this guy was probably about to loose his home because of the mortgage crisis which Bush caused by padding the pockest his necon croonies! We need to march on the White House and send all of them to the Hague!!!!one!!eleven!!
[/DU mode]

**SaintLouieWoman** · 07-22-2008, 11:52 AM

[quote=Bill inGA;22573]

Originally Posted by SaintLouieWoman

Firefighter dead, 2 police officers shot in Maplewood

A sharpshooter with the Missouri Highway Patrol waits on alert on the porch of a house on the 7400 block of Zephyr Place this morning as a gunman remains holed up in the area.
(Christian Gooden/P-D)

SLW, this picture of the police could land you jail... If we have learned anything from the DUmps RIM job.

I never pay attention to the DUmp, but this pic was from the St Louis Post-Dispatch's web site, lead story yesterday, so no problems here. What's scary is that they still haven't, at least publically, acknowledged that they've found the "suspect's" body. If he escaped, he's within a couple mile range of my company. Perhaps coincidentally, yesterday they instituted tighter security procedures here.

**SaintLouieWoman** · 07-22-2008, 03:05 PM

Investigators Find Object that Appears to be Gun in Burned-Out Maplewood Home

12 mins ago

KSDK -- A NewsChannel 5 crew saw investigators pull out what appeared to be a gun in the rubble of a burned-out home Tuesday morning which has been the target of an investigation into a deadly shooting Monday in Maplewood, eight miles west of St. Louis.

Investigators have not commented on the find it is not known if it is connected to Monday's shooting. St. Louis County Police said they believe the person responsible for the shooting death of a Maplewood firefighter and injuries to two police officers is dead inside the home on Zephyr, off of Big Bend.

<LI itxtvisited="1">A backhoe was brought to the scene to go through the debris around 7 a.m. Tuesday. The digging stopped at 8:30 a.m. and investigators moved-in and seemed to focus on the front of the home.
Maplewood Mayor Mark Langston said investigators will be looking for evidence and human remains.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story...150503&catid=3

Hope they find him. I'd hate for him to be running around the neighborhood where I work. :eek: They also said on one of the news stories that he had blacked out windows in his house. I bet he had really creeped out the neighbors. Too bad someone didn't put in a little inquiry with the cops about him earlier. But that old hindsight is always so brilliant, part of the would of, could of, should have routine.

**SaintLouieWoman** · 07-22-2008, 04:28 PM

Update---they found the body. Yay! Now I won't have to be so frightened the nut might run into our office. It's really not too far.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story...150503&catid=3

Police: Body and Gun Found in Burned-Out Maplewood Home

3 mins ago

KSDK -- St. Louis County Police confirm a body and a long-barreled gun were found in the rubble of a burned-out home, which has been the target of an investigation into a deadly shooting Monday in Maplewood, eight miles west of St. Louis.

Tracy Panus, a spokeswoman, with the police department said investigators will use dental records to identify the body, which could take several days.

**SaintLouieWoman** · 07-23-2008, 03:55 PM

Police Identify Body in Burned Out Maplewood Home

2 mins ago KSDK -- St. Louis County Police identified a body found inside a burned out home in a Maplewood neighborhood where a deadly shooting had taken place days earlier.
Authorities have confirmed the body to be of 52-year-old Mark J. Knobbe, the primary suspect in the shooting, according to Tracy Panus, a spokesperson for the county police department.
NewsChannel 5 will have more information on this story as details become available.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story...50617&catid=40

I guess that's it; he's identified. I wonder if they'll ever figure out what happened. On one of the local stations, they mentioned that he was angry with the city over requests to clean out his messy back yard. Talk about a bit of overreaction.

I vaguely remember seeing him some years ago, when I had made a sales call to the STL Art Museum, where he had been employed for 20 years. The sad thing is that I think that I know 2 of his relatives from my volunteer work at the zoo. They're a nice family; I guess all families have a black sheep, but he's now a very toasty, charred black sheep. Sorry, a bit too sick.

**SaintLouieWoman** · 07-24-2008, 05:39 PM

It was announced that witnesses (I'm sure the neighbors) stated they heard gunfire after the fireman was killed and police shot. The "suspect" committed suicide before the flames entirely engulfed the house. A neighbor stated that he saw the guy put wood in the back of his pickup and then set it on fire. He rolled the car across the street, then ran back into the house after setting up his ambush. They found the gun that he had used in the killings and the other one that he had used to shoot himself. He apparently set his own house on fire using clothes, etc. right before he shot himself. Talk about an elaborate suicide.

It was very sad today. I drove by the city hall, with all kinds of bouquets of flowers around the flagpole. Then I drove further down Manchester Road. There was a huge flag suspended from a cable over the street. Police officers were on the center line of the street, across from the tiny funeral parlor. There were fire vehicles from all over the metro area in the parking lot. Apparently the funeral services are there today, with the burial tomorrow.

We all should think of the debt of gratitude we have to the firemen and police who protect us.