Bad Santa

I don't know whether you've been seeing much about this story in other parts of the country, but the Christmas Eve gun-wielding Santa has made plenty of news around here. It looks like bad luck for the gunman is all that kept him from escaping the country:

COVINA, Calif. (AP) - Law enforcement officials in Southern California say the gunman who killed nine people in a Christmas Eve bloodbath at his ex-in-laws' Covina home intended to flee to Canada but was severely burned before he killed himself.

Police said Friday that after the shooting, 45-year-old Bruce Jeffrey Pardo used a homemade device to spray racing fuel around the home and that the vapor was ignited by a pilot light or candle. He suffered third-degree burns on both arms when it exploded.

Authorities say Pardo's Santa suit actually melted onto his body before he fled.

After Pardo shot himself to death at his brother's home, authorities found $17,000 on him and a plane ticket for a flight from Los Angeles to Canada.

When you add domestic woes to the emotions that seem to be so strong during the holidays, it doesn't take much to nudge somebody who is already teetering over the edge.