siggggggggh! On Dec 26, 7:12 am, NavyBrat <[email protected]> wrote: > Coward. He should of just shot himself in the head and spared everyone > his misery. > > On Dec 26, 3:47 am, "mike [never forget] 532" > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Man in a Santa Suit Kills at Least 8 at a > > Partyhttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/us/26Santa.html?_r=1&th&emc=th > > COVINA, Calif. — A man in a Santa Claus outfit opened fire on a > > Christmas Eve gathering of his in-laws in this Los Angeles suburb and > > then methodically set their house ablaze, killing at least eight > > people and injuring several others, the authorities said Thursday. > > > The attack occurred during a Christmas Eve gathering. > > Shortly after the attack, the gunman, identified as Bruce Jeffrey > > Pardo, 45, killed himself with a single shot to the head at the home > > of his brother in the Sylmar section of Los Angeles, the police said. > > > In addition to the eight people whose bodies were found in the ashes > > of the house here, none of whom were identified, at least one other > > person was thought to be missing, and perhaps as many as three. Among > > the total of dead or missing were the couple who owned the home and > > their daughter, the estranged wife of the gunman, the police said. > > > Investigators continued to search the charred structure Thursday, and > > coroners said dental records would be needed to identify some of the > > remains. > > > The frenzied shooting occurred just before midnight Wednesday at the > > two-story house, set on a cul-de-sac in this middle-class town about > > 22 miles east of Los Angeles. Lt. Pat Buchanan of the Covina Police > > Department said Mr. Pardo, armed with one or two handguns and fire > > accelerant, had gone to the house looking for his former wife, > > Sylvia, > > with whom he was finalizing a contentious divorce after only a year > > of > > marriage. > > > People who escaped the house got out by smashing through glass and > > jumping. One woman broke an ankle when she leapt from a second-floor > > window. > > > The house was owned by James and Alicia Ortega, an elderly couple who > > were retired from their spray-painting business and who often invited > > their large extended family over for parties, particularly around > > Christmas. > > > Relatives said about 25 people, among them many children, were inside > > the home celebrating when Mr. Pardo knocked on the door around 11:30 > > p.m. He had apparently disguised himself as a hired entertainer for > > the children in order to gain access. > > > When a guest opened the door, Lieutenant Buchanan said, Mr. Pardo > > stepped inside the house, drew a semiautomatic handgun and > > immediately > > started shooting, beginning with an 8-year-old girl who was hit in > > the > > face but who survived, as did an older girl who was shot in the back. > > > As Mr. Pardo unleashed a barrage of gunfire in the living room, > > relatives smashed through windows, hid behind furniture or bounded > > upstairs. Then he sprayed the room with accelerant, using a device > > made of two pressurized tanks, one of which held pressurized gas. > > Within seconds, the house was ablaze. > > > Joshua Chavez of Seattle was visiting his mother’s house, which sits > > behind the Ortegas’, when he heard a loud explosion. “Then I saw > > black > > smoke and this large flame,” he said. > > > Mr. Chavez ran out to the backyard and heard three girls, including > > the one who had been shot in the back, trying to climb over his > > mother’s wall. “There’s some guy shooting in there,” he said one of > > the girls told him. > > > “About 20 seconds after that,” he continued, “the house was totally > > on > > fire. One girl said that a guy dressed as Santa started shooting.” > > > Another neighbor, Jeannie Goltz, 51, saw three more partygoers > > fleeing > > the burning home. One of them, a young woman, had escaped upstairs > > from the living room but broke her ankle when she jumped out a > > second- > > story window. > > > SWAT teams arrived shortly after Ms. Goltz had shepherded these three > > survivors into another neighbor’s house, but by that time Mr. Pardo > > was on his way back to Los Angeles. > > > Police officers said they could not recall so horrific a crime in > > Covina, and neighbors said they would never have imagined anything so > > grisly on their quiet block. > > > The Ortegas had lived in the house for more than two decades and were > > known for their family spirit, their generosity and their dog, which > > frequently escaped their yard. > > > “I would generally play Santa for the family every year,” said Pat > > Bower, a neighbor of the Ortegas for 25 years. “The family was always > > together. Brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles were always in the > > house. They were a gigantic family. We all envied them, actually.” > > > Robert and Gloria Magcalas lived next door to the Ortegas for 11 > > years > > but were celebrating Christmas Eve with relatives in Los Angeles. > > Their own home was barely spared the flames. > > > “They were a big, loving family,” Mrs. Magcalas said. “We usually > > exchanged gifts with them today. They gave us tamales and cookies > > every Christmas.” > > > The police said they had found two handguns in the ruins, and an > > additional two pistols at the scene of Mr. Pardo’s apparent suicide. > > Officials said they would continue to search the crime scene Friday, > > seeking information about the identities of the dead- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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