Khaberni - On a night that was supposed to be filled with children's laughter and Christmas songs, a quiet residential street in Los Angeles turned into the stage for one of the most heinous mass crimes in modern American history. The protagonist was not a stranger, but rather "Santa Claus" eagerly awaited by an eight-year-old girl who opened the door for him, unaware that she was opening the gates of hell for her family.
"Bruce Jeffrey Pardo" was not carrying gifts in his bag, but rather deep-seated hatred and semi-automatic weapons. That night, Pardo disguised himself in the famous "Santa Claus" suit, knocking on the door of his ex-wife's family home, where 25 people had gathered to celebrate.
With cold blood, the first bullet went to the little girl who greeted him, starting thereafter a human hunting spree inside the house, turning the festive atmosphere into a bloodbath, according to the "Mirror" website.
Bullets and Fire
The killer did not stop at shooting; after unloading his hatred in the bodies of those present, including the elderly parents of his ex-wife, "James and Alicia Ortega", he sprayed a flammable substance around the place, turning the cozy home into a human oven.
In those moments, children's screams mingled with the sound of explosions, and the survivors had to jump from high windows and smash glass to escape burning to death, in a scene described by neighbors as a "piece of a nightmare".
Divorce at the Cost of 9 Lives
Investigations revealed that the motive for this massacre was a bitter divorce settlement that Pardo could not accept. After two years of marriage, he was forced to pay alimony and financial settlements to his former wife, "Sylvia", coinciding with the loss of his job and a dire financial crisis. This psychological and financial pressure transformed the "quiet and smiling man" — as described by his neighbors — into a monster who meticulously planned every detail, right up to preparing an explosive-laden car and a plane ticket to escape to Canada.
The Suicidal End
The escape plan did not complete; after hours of committing his massacre that left 9 people dead, who were only identified through dental records due to being burned, police found "the killer Santa" lifeless in his brother's house, after he ended his life with the last bullet, leaving behind a wiped-out family, survivors bearing scars of bullets and burns on their bodies, and a memory that time will not erase of a night when the holiday was murdered.
