CLAYTON — A judge on Tuesday significantly lowered the bond for a former St. Louis County police officer accused of firing gunshots at a Kirkwood elementary school’s Halloween event, likely clearing the way for him to be released from jail ahead of trial.
St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo agreed to reduce the bond of Matthew McCulloch, 39, who faces six counts of child endangerment, one count of making a terroristic threat and several weapons offenses.
McCulloch is accused of making death threats and firing his gun at least a dozen times at an Oct. 15 Tillman Elementary School trunk-or-treat event at North Kirkwood Middle School that was attended by hundreds of children and parents.
Several people tackled McCulloch and took his gun from him, according to court documents. No one was injured.

McCulloch
Ribaudo granted a request from McCulloch’s defense attorney on Tuesday to reduce his $500,000 bond to $250,000 and allow McCulloch to pay just 10% of that — $25,000 — to be released.
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McCulloch had not posted the bond as of Tuesday afternoon, and his lawyer said he wasn’t sure when he would.
In addition to the money, the bond conditions require McCulloch to check into a St. Charles psychiatric hospital and complete treatment. When he completes the program, he can be released on house arrest with GPS monitoring to a 40-acre property in the Defiance area of St. Charles County until his criminal case is resolved, Ribaudo said in court Tuesday.
McCulloch’s defense attorney, Brian Millikan, said in court Tuesday that a mental health examination found McCulloch’s behavior at the Halloween event “is the direct result of a mental health crisis†requiring treatment that is unavailable at the jail.
Millikan argued that the same $500,000 bond was recently issued for a murder case in the county.
Jessica Hathaway, head of St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell’s Conviction and Incident Review Unit, opposed the bond reduction in court Tuesday. She told the judge McCulloch is a threat to public safety and remains a concern for community members who’ve written the court dozens of letters opposing his release.
Hathaway told the judge the mental health treatment will not take place in a locked facility, and it typically lasts seven to 10 days.
“I’ve spent a great amount of time thinking about this,†Ribaudo said Tuesday. She said ultimately it’s her duty not to impose bond conditions “greater than necessary†to ensure that a defendant appears in court.
Ribaudo said she believed the mental health evaluation came from a reputable psychiatrist. She agreed McCulloch wouldn’t be able to access the same level of mental health treatment in jail.
Ribaudo asked to be called personally by the hospital’s medical staff and the GPS monitoring company with any violations.
McCulloch will also be barred from entering Kirkwood or going near any school in the Kirkwood School District. He will not be allowed to carry a weapon or contact any victims in the case, according to the bond conditions.
McCulloch comes from a long line of leadership positions in law enforcement.
His father, Bob McCulloch, served 28 years as St. Louis County’s elected prosecutor before losing his reelection bid in 2018. His uncle, Joseph McCulloch, is a retired St. Louis city police officer and was appointed earlier this year as the top prosecutor in St. Charles County. His grandfather, Paul McCulloch, was also a police officer and was killed while on duty in a shootout in 1964.
McCulloch was no longer employed with St. Louis County police within days of the trunk-or-treat event, according to the department.
Kirkwood School District spokeswoman Steph Deidrick discusses the shooting at a trunk-or-treat event for Tillman Elementary School. Video by Erin Heffernan, ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ