Santa Shooter Planned Attack for Months

A California man who dressed up as Santa Claus and killed nine people during a Christmas Eve party at his former in-laws' home planned the attack for months and apparently had other people on his target list. Investigators discovered that Bruce Pardo was purchasing supplies for his plan as early as last summer.

But to those around him, Pardo never let on that anything was wrong while he planned the deadly massacre.

Pardo showed up at the home of his ex-wife's parents in Covina on Christmas Eve dressed in a Santa suit. When an 8-year-old girl answered the door, he shot her in the face. He then began shooting at people in the house indiscriminately, but then targeted specific individuals including his ex-wife, according to survivors.

He then set the house on fire with a homemade flame-throwing device that contained racing fuel. The house burned so completely that three of the victims were still not officially identified 10 days later.

Planned Attack Since Last Summer?

The attack happened a few days after Pardo and his wife Sylvia's divorce became final, but investigators found that Pardo bought ammunition and guns used in the massacre last summer. He also purchased the supplies he needed to make the flame-throwing device.

In September, Pardo ordered an extra-large, custom-made Santa suit from a seamstress. In December, he rented two vehicles that he planned to use in the attack. He also bought an airline ticket to Iowa.

Police said Pardo's killing spree inside the house was cut short when the fuel from his torch device ignited before he expected, probably from a candle or pilot light, burning him so bad it seared part of the Santa suit to his body.

Fuel Ignited Before Planned

The premature ignition of the fuel allowed most of the 25 guests at the party to escape death.

Investigators believe that Pardo originally planned to drive one of the rental cars, which he booby trapped to explode, to his ex-wife's attorney's home, kill him and escape in the second rental vehicle, which they found parked nearby. He then planned to drive the second car to the airport and fly to Iowa still in the Santa suit in which he had $17,000 in cash plastic wrapped to his stomach and legs.

But detective Lt. Tim Doonan said Pardo probably abandoned because he was in a lot of pain, with third-degree burns over his body. He drove the booby trapped vehicle to his brother's house, broke in and shot himself in the head.

Planned to Kill His Mother?

According to the coroner, killed in the Covina home were Sylvia Pardo's parents, Joseph Ortega, 80, and Alicia Ortega, 70; Teresa Ortega, 51; Alicia Ortiz, 46; Charles Ortega, 50 and his wife Cheri Ortega, 45. Missing but not yet identified by the medical examiner are Sylvia Pardo, 43; James Ortega, 52; and Michael Ortiz, the 17-year-old son of Alicia Ortiz, who was upstairs playing on a computer at the time of the attack.

In another twist to Pardo's deadly plan, investigators discovered that Pardo's own mother was supposed to be at the party, but backed out at the last minute because she wasn't feeling well. Family members said he was upset with his mother because she had sided with his wife in the divorce and they had remained close.

See Also:
Coroner IDs 6 Killed Christmas Eve
Santa Gunman Led 2 Lives to Plot Killings
Ex-Wife's Friend: Gunman Distant After Marriage
Santa Shooter Was Bound for Iowa, Not Canada

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^{Photo: California ID Photo}