Off-duty cop fired gun into the air and shouted 'you are all going to die' at a children's Halloween party, police say
A police officer in Missouri is accused of shooting his gun in the air and shouting "you're all going to die" during a kids trunk-or-treat party.
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- A Missouri cop is facing charges after police say he fired a gun during a Halloween party while off duty.
- Hundreds of children and parents were attending the event, according to court documents.
- One parent said the man had a "menacing grin" when he fired his gun into the air.
A cop in Missouri is facing felony charges after shouting "you are all going to die" and firing his gun into the air at a Halloween party for kids while he was off duty, police said in court documents.
Matthew McCulloch, a police officer with the St. Louis County Police in Missouri, has been charged with 11 felony counts, including endangering the welfare of children, unlawful use of a weapon, and first-degree terrorist threat after the shooting on October 15, according to the criminal complaint.
Local NBC affiliate KDSK reported that McCulloch's attorney entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf on Tuesday. The attorney did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
The St. Louis county Police did not immediately return Insider's request for comment. The agency told KDSK that McCulloch was suspended without pay and an internal investigation was pending against him.
Court documents allege that McCulloch started harassing people during a "Trunk-or-Treat" event for elementary school kids in Kirkwood, Missouri. The documents said hundreds of parents and children were present.
McCulloch "aggressively approached" multiple partygoers before threatening a man and his wife; the man then shoved McCulloch in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground, the court documents said.
McCulloch then, "while surrounded by hundreds of children, stood up, pulled up his shirt to display a handgun and badge, then began firing his weapon in an upward direction approximately a dozen times while shouting that the attendees would die," the court documents said.
Corey Schonhorst, a parent who was there, told the KDSK McCulloch had a "menacing grin" when he fired the shots and waited for the crowd to react.
"It was complete chaos," Schonhorst said. "One kid had completely run out of his shoes."
The court documents said McCulloch didn't stop until multiple witnesses tackled him and seized his weapon.
Robert McCulloch, a former St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, is McCulloch's father, according to FOX2 in Missouri. McCulloch released a statement on October 15 saying he was aware his son was involved in the shooting, according to the outlet.
"Please know that we will be eternally grateful that no one was physically injured," McCulloch said. "However, we are also painfully aware that an incident such as this can and does cause significant emotional trauma to those, especially children and their parents, who witness such an event."
Tillman Elementary School, which the event was being held for, canceled school the following day and offered counselors and social workers to support traumatized students, FOX2 reported.