Here we go again, another case of a guy stockpiling guns and ends up using them to massacre innocent people. No self defense here, as usual.
But Santa?
Santa-suit killer planned escape to Canada
Gunman severely burned before killing self, police say; ninth victim from COVINA, Calif. - The gunman who killed nine people in a Christmas Eve bloodbath at his ex-in-laws' home intended to flee to Canada but was severely burned before he killed himself, law enforcement officials said Friday.
Police said that after the shooting, 45-year-old Bruce Jeffrey Pardo used a homemade device to spray racing fuel around the home and that the vapor was ignited by a pilot light or candle. He suffered third-degree burns on both arms when it exploded.
Authorities say Pardo's Santa suit melted onto his body before he fled.
After Pardo shot himself to death at his brother's home, authorities found $17,000 on him and a plane ticket for a flight from Los Angeles to Canada.
A ninth body was found Friday morning at the charred site of the massacre where Pardo arrived dressed as Santa.
Pardo reached a Dec. 18 settlement with his ex-wife, who along with her parents was believed to be among the dead. His lawyer and a fellow church usher were among those who said they had never seen anything to indicate he was capable of such a brutal crime.
Pardo's attorney, Stanley Silver, said his client seemed cheerful when he left a message two days before the shooting and was trying to pay $10,000 to finalize the divorce proceedings.
"All of my dealings with him were always pleasant and cheerful," Silver said. "I'd never encountered him when he was ... angry or unpleasant at all."
Pardo left the scene of the killings and was found dead Thursday, of a single bullet to the head, at his brother's house.
Search resumed
The body of his ninth victim was found Friday morning when investigators resumed searching what was left of the two-story home in Covina, 25 miles east of Los Angeles.
Eight bodies were recovered Thursday from the destroyed house; it was not yet known where the gunfire or the flames killed them. None of the dead or missing has been identified.
The bloodbath began about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when an 8-year-old girl attending a Christmas Eve party answered a knock at the door. A man dressed as Santa and carrying what appeared to a present pulled out a handgun and shot her in the face, then began shooting indiscriminately as partygoers tried to flee.
The gift-wrapped box Pardo was carrying actually contained a pressurized homemade device he used to spray a liquid that quickly sent the house up in flames. Police said Pardo had recently worked in the aerospace industry.
No history of violence
Pardo had no criminal record and no history of violence, according to police, but he was angry following last week's settlement of his divorce after a short marriage.
Dec. 26: Kim Raney, police chief of Covina, Calif., talks about the rampage.
Today show
A court summary of the divorce case shows that Sylvia Pardo filed for a dissolution of marriage on March 24, 2008. The summary indicates she and Bruce Pardo reached a settlement on Dec. 18 and were separated after about two years of marriage.
Court documents show Sylvia Pardo got the couple's dog, the wedding ring and $10,000 in the settlement agreement, while he got the house. In June, the court ordered Bruce Pardo to pay $1,785 a month in spousal support and put him on a payment plan of $450 a month for $3,570 that was unpaid.
Pardo's attorney said the man had trouble making the payments after he lost his job in July, but spousal support was waived in the settlement signed earlier this month.
But Santa?
Santa-suit killer planned escape to Canada
Gunman severely burned before killing self, police say; ninth victim from COVINA, Calif. - The gunman who killed nine people in a Christmas Eve bloodbath at his ex-in-laws' home intended to flee to Canada but was severely burned before he killed himself, law enforcement officials said Friday.
Police said that after the shooting, 45-year-old Bruce Jeffrey Pardo used a homemade device to spray racing fuel around the home and that the vapor was ignited by a pilot light or candle. He suffered third-degree burns on both arms when it exploded.
Authorities say Pardo's Santa suit melted onto his body before he fled.
After Pardo shot himself to death at his brother's home, authorities found $17,000 on him and a plane ticket for a flight from Los Angeles to Canada.
A ninth body was found Friday morning at the charred site of the massacre where Pardo arrived dressed as Santa.
Pardo reached a Dec. 18 settlement with his ex-wife, who along with her parents was believed to be among the dead. His lawyer and a fellow church usher were among those who said they had never seen anything to indicate he was capable of such a brutal crime.
Pardo's attorney, Stanley Silver, said his client seemed cheerful when he left a message two days before the shooting and was trying to pay $10,000 to finalize the divorce proceedings.
"All of my dealings with him were always pleasant and cheerful," Silver said. "I'd never encountered him when he was ... angry or unpleasant at all."
Pardo left the scene of the killings and was found dead Thursday, of a single bullet to the head, at his brother's house.
Search resumed
The body of his ninth victim was found Friday morning when investigators resumed searching what was left of the two-story home in Covina, 25 miles east of Los Angeles.
Eight bodies were recovered Thursday from the destroyed house; it was not yet known where the gunfire or the flames killed them. None of the dead or missing has been identified.
The bloodbath began about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when an 8-year-old girl attending a Christmas Eve party answered a knock at the door. A man dressed as Santa and carrying what appeared to a present pulled out a handgun and shot her in the face, then began shooting indiscriminately as partygoers tried to flee.
The gift-wrapped box Pardo was carrying actually contained a pressurized homemade device he used to spray a liquid that quickly sent the house up in flames. Police said Pardo had recently worked in the aerospace industry.
No history of violence
Pardo had no criminal record and no history of violence, according to police, but he was angry following last week's settlement of his divorce after a short marriage.
Dec. 26: Kim Raney, police chief of Covina, Calif., talks about the rampage.
Today show
A court summary of the divorce case shows that Sylvia Pardo filed for a dissolution of marriage on March 24, 2008. The summary indicates she and Bruce Pardo reached a settlement on Dec. 18 and were separated after about two years of marriage.
Court documents show Sylvia Pardo got the couple's dog, the wedding ring and $10,000 in the settlement agreement, while he got the house. In June, the court ordered Bruce Pardo to pay $1,785 a month in spousal support and put him on a payment plan of $450 a month for $3,570 that was unpaid.
Pardo's attorney said the man had trouble making the payments after he lost his job in July, but spousal support was waived in the settlement signed earlier this month.