LOS ANGELES - A man plotting revenge against his ex-wife dressed up like Santa, went to his former in-laws' Christmas Eve party and slaughtered at least nine people before killing himself. Bruce Pardo's ex-wife and her parents are believed to be among the dead.
Pardo (45) 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 marriage that lasted barely a year.
"It was not an amicable divorce," said police officer Pat Buchanan.
Pardo chose to exact his revenge at the annual Christmas party his former in-laws held at their two-storey home on a cul-de-sac in a quiet neighbourhood in Covina, California, 40km (25 miles) east of Los Angeles.
In past years, a neighbour dressed as Santa Claus had entertained guests. But the neighbour had moved away and there was no Santa - until Pardo arrived at about 11.30pm.
The massacre began when an eight-year-old girl answered Pardo's knock at the door. Pardo, carrying what appeared to be a large present, pulled out a handgun and shot her in the face, then began shooting indiscriminately as about 25 partygoers tried to flee, police said.
A 16-year-old girl was shot in the back, and a 20-year-old woman broke her ankle when she escaped by jumping from a second-storey window. Those two, and the eight-year-old, remained in hospital. All are expected to recover.
The gift-wrapped box Pardo was carrying actually contained a pressurised home-made device he used to spray a liquid that quickly sent the house up in flames.
David Salgado, a neighbour, said he saw the eight-year-old girl being escorted to an ambulance by four Swat team members as flames up to 12m (40ft) high consumed the house. "It was really ugly," Mr Salgado said.
Another neighbour, Jan Gregory, said she saw a teenage boy flee the home, screaming, "They shot my family." When the fire was extinguished, officers found three charred bodies in the living room area.
"They were met with a scene that was just indescribable," police chief Kim Raney said.
Investigators found five more bodies amid the ashes later in the day and another when they resumed the search yesterday.
None of the dead or missing has been identified. Authorities were unable to immediately determine whether the victims were killed by the flames or the gunfire.
Following the shootings, Pardo got out of the Santa suit and drove off, witnesses told police. He went to his brother's home about 40km (25 miles) away in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles. No one was home, so Pardo let himself in, police said.
Police were called to the home hours later and officers found Pardo dead of a single bullet to the head. Two handguns were found at the scene, and two more were discovered in the wreckage of his former in-laws' house.
A car that Pardo apparently parked near his brother's home exploded last night and more ammunition was found in it. No one was hurt.
Pardo's lawyer, 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 finalise 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."
Court documents showed Sylvia Pardo got the couple's dog, the wedding ring and $10,000 in the settlement, while he got the house. In June, the court ordered Bruce Pardo to pay maintenance. Mr Silver said Pardo had trouble making the payments after he lost his job in July, but the maintenance was waived in the settlement signed earlier this month.
Pardo served regularly as an usher at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Montrose, the Los Angeles Times reported. Jan Detanna, the head usher, was stunned when told about the violence. "This is shocking," Mr Detanna said. "He was the nicest guy you could imagine. Always a pleasure to talk to, always a big smile." - (AP)