A man wanting revenge after a nasty divorce dressed up like Santa, crashed his former in-laws Christmas party, then killed 8 people before killing himself hours later. Bruce Pardo is believed to have killed his ex-wife and her parents during the ‘Santa Massacre‘. His methodology was very different than what you would expect- he set the home ablaze using a bizarre homemade device that sprayed flammable liquid.

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,” police Lt. Pat Buchanan said.

In past years, a neighbor dressed as Santa Claus and entertained guests. But the neighbor had moved away and there was no Santa � until Pardo arrived around 11:30 p.m.

The massacre began when an 8-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 at a news conference.

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-story window. Those two, and the 8-year-old, remained hospitalized Christmas Day. All were expected to recover. 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 is the aerospace industry.

Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to the poor family and friends whose lives will be forever changed by this evil act of revenge. God bless.

[image: AP]

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