Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda has made progress, but a spokesman for the family says his recovery from gunshot wounds to the head will take months. St. John’s Mercy Medical Center has upgraded Swoboda’s condition from critical to serious. Swoboda suffered two gunshot wounds to the head February 7 th when Charles Thornton stormed the Kirkwood City Council meeting and began shooting. Thornton killed two police officers and three city officials before police shot and killed him. Suburban Journals reporter Todd Smith, shot in the hand, was treated for his injury and released earlier.

Tom Noonan spoke to reporters for the family and said Swoboda’s activities continue to increase. Noonan said one bullet entered Swoboda’s right cheekbone and went out the other side. The other went through the back of his head. Swoboda has had brain surgery and will need to undergo reconstructive surgery. Noonan said the mayor is on a breathing ventilator and is being fed through a tube. He remains in the intensive care unit.

Noonan said it has yet to be determined whether the mayor suffered brain damage. He added that family and friends have declined to talk about the night of the shooting, because they don’t want to upset him.