1. http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/5234593...ves-16-orphans/
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>US Christmas massacre leaves 16 orphans</b>
December 28, 2008
<b>Sixteen children were left orphaned</b> in the Christmas Eve massacre carried out by a gunman dressed as Santa Claus who slaughtered his ex-wife and her family, it was reported on Saturday.
Authorities have yet to formally identify the <b>nine people killed</b> by Bruce Pardo, 45, who opened fire at the home of his former in-laws on Wednesday before setting fire to the house and later taking his life.
But the devastating impact upon the family of his ex-wife - identified in media reports as Sylvia Ortega - has slowly begun to emerge as grief-stricken friends and associates speak out in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Pardo's rampage is reported to have claimed the lives of his ex-wife, her parents, her two brothers and their partners, and another relative Alice Ortiz and her teenage son.
Sylvia Ortega's three children were at the party but survived, Scott Nord, the family's lawyer, told NBC4 television.
"The entire family was wiped out," Nord said. "There's basically like 16 orphans."
Three people injured in the assault but are expected to survive. They include <b>an eight-year-old girl who was shot in the face after excitedly opening the door of the home to Pardo because she wanted to see Father Christmas</b> , police told reporters on Friday.
No additional victims are expected to be discovered in the charred wreckage of the Ortega's home, which is to be bulldozed, police said.
Family lawyer Nord meanwhile told NBC4 that contrary to reports, Pardo's recent divorce from Ortega - cited as a possible trigger for the attack - had not been especially acrimonious.
He said there were "no theatrics in the courtroom, no theatrics in the hallway," Nord said. "Everybody was very civil to each other."
"There was no history of domestic violence in this case or none that my client had ever told me about," he said, admitting he was at a loss to explain what may have pushed Pardo over the edge.
"I can't even give you a rationale," Nord said. "I've never seen anything like this happen. I've never even heard of anything like this happening."
Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday that Pardo's marriage had been strained after Ortega discovered he had a brain-damaged son from a previous relationship that he had kept secret.
According to the Times, citing a source close to the police investigation, Ortega was appalled Pardo had abandoned his child yet continued to claim him as a tax write-off.
Police revealed on Friday Pardo had planned to flee to Canada following his attack, but killed himself after being seriously injured as he set fire to his former in-laws' home with a home-made flamethrower that melted his Santa Claus costume to parts of his body.
Pardo shot himself after driving to his brother's home. Covina police said $US17,000 ($A25,000) was found taped to his body along with a plane ticket to Canada departing early on Thursday.
He had also booby-trapped his car, which burst into flames as bomb disposal experts moved in, police revealed.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->He behaved like he was possessed by the Santa Claus ("Saint Nicholas of Myra") (of temple-breaking fame) that he was dressed up as.
2. Hallmark of American culture? They seem to like shooting others for no reason.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/5234859...king-pitt-film/
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Man shot for talking during Pitt film</b>
December 28, 2008
<b>A Philadelphia resident, enraged because a family was talking loudly during a film, threw popcorn at a boy and then shot the youngster's father.</b>
James Joseph Cialella Jr, 29, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons violations for shooting another film goer in the left arm, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Cialella was furious for being disturbed while watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which stars Brad Pitt and Australia's Cate Blanchett .
"It's truly frightening when you see something like this evolve into such violence ... that something like this leads to a shooting in a movie theatre," police spokesman Lieutenant Frank Vanore was quoted as saying.
Cialella first asked the talkative family to quieten down and threw popcorn at a boy who was talking to his father. Next , Cialella and the father got into an argument, which turned physical and Cialella whipped out a handgun and shot the man.
Police said Cialella returned to his seat and continued watching the film.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Are Americans/christians fit to study other people - like they do in Harvard and other hate groups? They look like they ought to be studied first: for pathological disorders. (Australian missionary Graham Staines was in illegal possession of a gun when in India and eyewitnesses report that he shot into a crowd. Seems like part of a larger trend. More study is required.)
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>US Christmas massacre leaves 16 orphans</b>
December 28, 2008
<b>Sixteen children were left orphaned</b> in the Christmas Eve massacre carried out by a gunman dressed as Santa Claus who slaughtered his ex-wife and her family, it was reported on Saturday.
Authorities have yet to formally identify the <b>nine people killed</b> by Bruce Pardo, 45, who opened fire at the home of his former in-laws on Wednesday before setting fire to the house and later taking his life.
But the devastating impact upon the family of his ex-wife - identified in media reports as Sylvia Ortega - has slowly begun to emerge as grief-stricken friends and associates speak out in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Pardo's rampage is reported to have claimed the lives of his ex-wife, her parents, her two brothers and their partners, and another relative Alice Ortiz and her teenage son.
Sylvia Ortega's three children were at the party but survived, Scott Nord, the family's lawyer, told NBC4 television.
"The entire family was wiped out," Nord said. "There's basically like 16 orphans."
Three people injured in the assault but are expected to survive. They include <b>an eight-year-old girl who was shot in the face after excitedly opening the door of the home to Pardo because she wanted to see Father Christmas</b> , police told reporters on Friday.
No additional victims are expected to be discovered in the charred wreckage of the Ortega's home, which is to be bulldozed, police said.
Family lawyer Nord meanwhile told NBC4 that contrary to reports, Pardo's recent divorce from Ortega - cited as a possible trigger for the attack - had not been especially acrimonious.
He said there were "no theatrics in the courtroom, no theatrics in the hallway," Nord said. "Everybody was very civil to each other."
"There was no history of domestic violence in this case or none that my client had ever told me about," he said, admitting he was at a loss to explain what may have pushed Pardo over the edge.
"I can't even give you a rationale," Nord said. "I've never seen anything like this happen. I've never even heard of anything like this happening."
Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday that Pardo's marriage had been strained after Ortega discovered he had a brain-damaged son from a previous relationship that he had kept secret.
According to the Times, citing a source close to the police investigation, Ortega was appalled Pardo had abandoned his child yet continued to claim him as a tax write-off.
Police revealed on Friday Pardo had planned to flee to Canada following his attack, but killed himself after being seriously injured as he set fire to his former in-laws' home with a home-made flamethrower that melted his Santa Claus costume to parts of his body.
Pardo shot himself after driving to his brother's home. Covina police said $US17,000 ($A25,000) was found taped to his body along with a plane ticket to Canada departing early on Thursday.
He had also booby-trapped his car, which burst into flames as bomb disposal experts moved in, police revealed.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->He behaved like he was possessed by the Santa Claus ("Saint Nicholas of Myra") (of temple-breaking fame) that he was dressed up as.
2. Hallmark of American culture? They seem to like shooting others for no reason.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/5234859...king-pitt-film/
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Man shot for talking during Pitt film</b>
December 28, 2008
<b>A Philadelphia resident, enraged because a family was talking loudly during a film, threw popcorn at a boy and then shot the youngster's father.</b>
James Joseph Cialella Jr, 29, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons violations for shooting another film goer in the left arm, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Cialella was furious for being disturbed while watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which stars Brad Pitt and Australia's Cate Blanchett .
"It's truly frightening when you see something like this evolve into such violence ... that something like this leads to a shooting in a movie theatre," police spokesman Lieutenant Frank Vanore was quoted as saying.
Cialella first asked the talkative family to quieten down and threw popcorn at a boy who was talking to his father. Next , Cialella and the father got into an argument, which turned physical and Cialella whipped out a handgun and shot the man.
Police said Cialella returned to his seat and continued watching the film.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Are Americans/christians fit to study other people - like they do in Harvard and other hate groups? They look like they ought to be studied first: for pathological disorders. (Australian missionary Graham Staines was in illegal possession of a gun when in India and eyewitnesses report that he shot into a crowd. Seems like part of a larger trend. More study is required.)