(KMOV) – The brother of the man who opened fire at the Kirkwood City Hall on Thursday evening tells News 4 that his brother was striking back at government officials that had been giving him trouble.

News 4’s Laurie Waters spoke with Gerald Thornton about what prompted Charles “Cookie” Thornton to attack police and city officials.

“The only way that I can put into context that you might understand is that my brother went to war tonight with the people, the government that was putting torment and strife into his life.  He has spoke on it as best he could in the courts, and they denied all rights to the access of protection and he took it upon himself to go to war and end the issue,” Gerald Thornton said.

“I can’t change it.  The thing that I can say is that he went to war with the people that were causing strife in his life and he ended it,” said Thornton.

Thornton leaves behind a wife and a daughter.