In a frantic shooting incident on Christmas Eve Wednesday, at a two-story home in a blind alley in Covina - a middle-class town about 22 miles from Los Angeles - the suspect, a man dressed up as Santa Claus, appeared to have gone berserk!

According to authorities, Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, 45, opened fire with a handgun at a family celebration in the house of his in-laws; and as a result, killed at least three people and injured many others. Subsequently, he set the house ablaze, using the cans of accelerant he was armed with; stripped out of his Santa outfit and ran away in street clothes.

He headed to Sylmar, almost 40 miles from the scene of the shootings, and killed himself too, in front of his brother's house.

In a telephonic interview, Lieut. Pat Buchanan of the Covina Police Department said that nearly 30 people, including quite a few children, were present at the traditional family gathering, celebrating on Christmas Eve. It was to gain access to the party that Pardo had apparently disguised himself as Santa Claus.

The reason behind the thoughtless rampage was Pardo's marital problems. His wife Sylivia, with whom Pardo was involved in a bitter divorce case since March, was living with her relatives in the house where he opened fire.

Early Thursday afternoon reports have still not clarified the names of the victims, and the officers were still not sure how many more people were inside as they had not entered the home yet. It was also not clear whether Sylivia was amongst the dead.