Covina massacre

The Covina massacre occurred on December 24, 2008, in Covina, a city in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California, United States. Nine people were killed from either gunshot wounds or an arson fire inside a house on 1129 East Knollcrest Drive where a Christmas Eve party was being held. The perpetrator, 45-year-old Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, who entered the house while wearing a Santa suit, committed suicide from a gunshot wound to the head at his brother's residence in the early morning hours after the attack. Authorities have cited marital problems as a possible motive for the violence; reports indicate Pardo's divorce had been finalized December 18, one week prior to the massacre. Three people, including Pardo's ex-wife and his former in-laws, were initially declared missing pending identification of their bodies.