A man dressed as Santa Claus committed a horrific mass murder at his ex-wife’s family Christmas party in Covina, California, in 2008. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, the disgruntled ex-husband, drove to the party and opened fire on the attendees, killing nine people, including his ex-wife, in-laws, and other relatives.
The motive behind the attack was believed to be related to Bruce and Sylvia’s recent divorce settlement, where Bruce received the house and cars while Sylvia got $10,000, the wedding ring, their dog, and most of the furniture. Bruce had been planning the attack for months, purchasing weapons and ammunition and constructing a device to set the house on fire.
Disguised in a custom-made oversized Santa suit, Bruce arrived at the party armed with guns and a fuel-spraying device, causing devastation among the guests. Despite suffering severe burns from an early ignition of the device, Bruce managed to change out of his Santa suit, drive to his brother’s house, and take his own life.
Authorities later discovered that Bruce had booby-trapped another rented car outside his ex-wife’s divorce attorney’s home, indicating further planned violence. The incident left a trail of tragedy and horror, with the community shocked by the gruesome events of that fateful Christmas Eve.