Results tagged “santamassacre”

The L.A. County Coroner has identified six of the nine badly burned bodies found inside the Covina home that was terrorized by "Santa Shooter" Bruce Pardo on Christmas Eve. According to abc7.com , the casualties were attributed to the shootings as well as the torching of the house. So far, the Coroner's office has determined:

Joseph Ortega, 80, of Covina, died from multiple gunshot wounds, and 70-year-old Alicia Ortega was shot in the abdomen. Also killed was Teresa Ortega, 51, who was shot in the leg but died from burns and smoke inhalation. Multiple injuries, including burns, gunshot wounds and smoke inhalation, were cited in the deaths of three others: Alicia Ortiz, 46, of Upland; Charles Ortega, 50, of West Covina and his wife, Cheri, 45.

Currently three more bodies remain unidentified--a process that is taking a great deal of time due to how badly damaged they were in the crime. Pardo's body was found the following morning at his brother's Sylmar home; his Santa suit was melted to his body and he had a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Police later learned he had plans to continue his killing spree, but stopped short and committed suicide.

Bruce Jeffrey Pardo killed nine people, and then himself, on Christmas Eve. Dressed in a Santa Suit, the distraught man entered the Covina home of his ex-wife's family and went on a shooting rampage, then torched the home. Following what has become known as the "Santa Massacre" Pardo went to his brother's home and committed suicide.

The Covina Police will hold a special community meeting at 7:00 tonight to discuss the Christmas Eve "Santa Massacre" that took place there on Knollcrest Drive. The unprecedented violence of the crime has left many neighbors and friends of the deceased in shock, and has also surprised those who knew the gunman, Bruce Jeffrey Pardo. Various reports reveal that Pardo was a kind man who did not hint at marital troubles or the desire to cause harm, and that he served as an usher at the Holy Redeemer Church in his home community of Montrose. Accodring to the Press-Telegram, "Coroner's investigators are working to positively identify the remains via dental records, since the bodies were burned." A total of 9 people were killed in the shooting, and Pardo committed suicide following his rampage. On Friday night, the police released the 911 call from the shooting.