In a horrifying Christmas tragedy, a man dressed as Santa Claus drove to his former in-laws’ house, where his ex-wife lived, and brutally murdered nine individuals through shootings and arson. This infamous incident, known as the Covina massacre, was carried out by Bruce Jeffrey Pardo on Christmas Eve in 2008 in Los Angeles County, California.
Bruce, aged 45, arrived at the Christmas party held by his ex-wife Sylvia’s family in Covina at around 11:30 pm. Armed with multiple guns and a device for spreading fuel, he attacked the 25 guests at the party.
As Bruce rang the doorbell, his eight-year-old niece, lured by the Santa outfit, opened the door and was tragically shot by him. Bruce had intended to target his victims with a large present and his weapons, causing devastation at the gathering.
Among the deceased were his ex-wife Sylvia Ortega, her parents Alicia Sotomayor and Joseph S. Ortega, Sylvia’s brothers Charles and James, their wives Cheri Lynn and Alicia, and Bruce’s nephew Michael Andre Ortiz. Additionally, three individuals were injured in the attack, as reported by NBC News.
The motive behind this heinous act was believed to be related to Bruce and Sylvia’s recent divorce, which was finalized just a week before the incident. Bruce’s meticulous planning for the attack involved purchasing weapons and ammunition, as well as constructing a device to set fire to Sylvia’s residence.
Bruce had even ordered a custom oversized Santa suit in preparation for the massacre. Despite suffering severe burns from an early ignition during the attack, he managed to change out of the suit, flee to his brother’s house, and end his own life.
It was revealed that Bruce had also set up a booby-trapped car outside his ex-wife’s divorce attorney’s home, indicating further sinister intentions that were thwarted due to his injuries. The car outside his brother’s house exploded when discovered by authorities.
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