Famous Christmas Massacres From Around The World

The winter holidays should be a time of peace and joy. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Between hectic shopping and gifting, seasonal depression, financial pressure, and rampant alcohol abuse, it’s easy to see why the tension is just too much for some individuals.

No one likes to imagine the worst. But as shocking as it can be, family tragedies do happen, even during holidays like Thanksgiving. And today, the team at National Crime Scene Cleanup is here to share three unbelievable stories that happened during Christmas.

Covina Christmas Massacre (The Ortega Family Party)

Familicide — the murder of one’s family — is often linked to a history of domestic violence. 46% of all American women murdered die at the hands of their husbands (Above: Downtown Covina, CA)

On Christmas Eve, 2008, nine people were killed — either by gunshot or arson — in Covina, CA.

The perpetrator was Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, who entered the home of his ex-in-laws, dressed in a Santa suit. He carried an innocent-looking package wrapped like a gift, but inside he had a rolling air compressor which he had outfitted to spray gasoline, and at least one handgun.

Minutes after entering the home, he shot his eight-year-old niece in the face as she ran to him for a hug. From there, experts say he pointedly executed his ex-family and shot at random party-goers as they fled the house.

After the shootings, he used his modified air compressor to spray the home’s interior with gasoline and set it ablaze. Pardo was found dead, apparently suicide by gunshot, about 4 am Dec 25th.

While the reasons for his behavior aren’t completely clear, we do know Pardo’s divorce was finalized one week earlier. We don’t know if Pardo’s divorce played a role in the familicide, but we do see holiday massacres as a global phenomenon.

The 2008 Christmas Massacre

According to Human Rights Watch, in December 2008 and January 2009, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) brutally murdered at least 865 civilians and abducted 160 children in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

For several days in a row, guerilla LRA fighters hacked innocent citizens to death by hand with axes and machetes or crushed their skulls with clubs. Few victims lived to tell the tale.

• The worst of these attacks occurred over a 48-hour period at several locations within a 160-mile radius.
• The LRA waited until the festivities on December 24 and 25, choosing the best moment to find the maximum number of people gathered together in celebration.

The massacres in Congo are just one of the horrific terrorist atrocities performed by the LRA. Before turning its gaze to Congo in 2006, LRA was based in Uganda and southern Sudan. There, LRA kidnapped, raped and killed thousands of civilians.

When LRA went to Congo, they initially refrained from targeting the Congolese people. But LRA began its first wave of attacks in 2008, and they were punishing locals who assisted LRA defectors.

Today, the LRA is not considered an active threat by the US, even though they abducted 43 children in 2013. But our hearts go out to the thousands of civilians who lost family members 14 years ago.

The 2016 Berlin Market Massacre

Photo of the crime scene a day after the Christmas Market massacre. (Berlin)

On December 19, a truck driven by Lukasz Urban was commandeered by Anis Amri, who killed Urban and deliberately drove the truck into a festive Christmas market. Twelve souls perished, and at least 56 people were injured.

• The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility for the act and released a video of Amri pledging his loyalty to the group’s leader.
• Amri was killed in a shootout with law enforcement a few days later when he was discovered hiding in Milan, Italy.
• Unfortunately, the victims’ families will never get to face him or mete out any lawful justice. But at least he cannot strike again.

You might have heard about the Christmas Market Massacre because one of the first responders died in 2021. Many similar stories remain fresh in the public’s conscience, including the story of Jon Benet Ramsey, a delightful little girl found murdered on December 25th. To this day, her murderer has yet to be discovered.

Again, no one wants to imagine a tragedy during the holiday season. But the grim reality is this: the holidays are not a time to completely lose track of your personal safety. When disaster strikes, National Crime Scene Cleanup can help. We are fully licensed to clean up hazardous scenes, murders and massacres. Should that time ever come (and we hope it doesn’t), you know who to call.