SANTA SHOOTS THREE

DAMN!! --- and I get upset when I got coal in my stocking.

Gunman in Santa Suit Kills 3


Published: December 25, 2008

In a bizarre Christmas Eve rampage, a 45-year-old man in a Santa Claus outfit showed up at a party in a Los Angeles suburb and opened fire at a group of revelers, killing three people and injuring at least three others, including two children, the police said on Thursday.

The suspect, identified by witnesses as Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, later killed himself, the police said.

The shooting, which may have been prompted by a marital dispute, occurred just before midnight Wednesday at a two-story home on a cul de sac in Covina, a small town about 22 miles east of Los Angeles.

Investigators said that about 30 people were inside the home celebrating when the costumed man knocked on the door. When a guest opened the door, the man stepped inside the house, pulled out a handgun, and immediately started shooting, Lieut. Pat Buchanan of the Covina Police Department said in a telephone interview.

Officers quickly responded to a burst of 911 calls, and arrived at the house moments later to find that shots were still being fired inside. They also found the house engulfed in flames, but kept firefighters from getting too close until it appeared that the shooting had stopped. The police said there were three bodies inside the house, which have yet to be identified. Three survivors were transported to the hospital, two of whom had gunshot wounds, Lieutenant Buchanan said. They were described only as an 8-year-old, a 13-year-old, and a 16-year-old.

Witnesses said Mr. Pardo stripped off his Santa outfit after the shootings and fled in street clothes. Lieut. Buchanan said he had been having problems with his wife, the homeowner, who may have been a victim and whose name was not made public. It was also unclear what connection Mr. Pardo had to the injured children and the other victims, he said.

“We don’t know if they were residents of the house or not,” Lieutenant Buchanan.

Covina, a suburb that boasts the slogan “One mile square and all there,” sits at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley. It has become a scenic backdrop for films and shows, including several episodes of the television series “Roswell” and the hit show “Knight Rider.