KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- As police continued to search for a suspect on Thursday, those who knew Brookside murder victim Tom Pickert remembered him as a friendly, hardworking, and well-known attorney in the metro.
Pickert was shot and killed outside his home in Brookside on Wednesday morning shortly after walking his two children to school.
Following the crime, those who had met Pickert in the past expressed shock at the incident.
Ryan Fowler was a Pickert's partner and friend at their firm, Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger, LLC.
He released a statement to 41 Action News on Friday which read:
"We are shocked and devastated by the senseless and sudden loss of our friend and partner, Tom Pickert. Tom was a passionate and fearless advocate for his clients, and that passion permeated all aspects of his life. He was a wonderful father, husband and friend. The way he lived his life inspired us to not only be better attorneys, but better people.
We sincerely appreciate the outpouring of support that everyone, both inside and outside the legal community, has given to us and his family. It has been remarkable to witness how many lives Tom touched in a positive way.
Although Tom will be truly missed, we are forever grateful for the time we had with him and the enduring impact he leaves on our lives and the community as a whole."
“It was like a punch in the stomach,” Steve Swymeler said. “It’s really difficult to understand and comprehend."
Swymeler told 41 Action News he met Pickert back in 2010 during a Centurions Leadership Program.
“He was smart, funny, and a really easy guy to be around,” Swymeler said. “You always knew when you were with Tom that there was going to be great conversation and that there was going to be laughter."
Swymeler said Pickert left a lasting impression on him following their meeting years ago.
“A friend, a running partner, somebody to have a beer with after work. That's the Tom I knew,” he said. “I feel like he's that kind of a guy that everybody is close to that he knows and that everybody feels like they're his best friend."
Other lawyers and legal groups in the metro also expressed their thoughts and condolences following the shooting this week.
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Some posted to social media sites, including the Flynn Law Firm, which tweeted a message of support on Wednesday after the shooting.
“Deepest condolences to the family of KC attorney, Tom Pickert, who was murdered,” the tweet read. “A great father, husband, lawyer, and more, to many.”
As of Friday night, police had not made any arrests in the case or named an official suspect.
