The fatal shooting of an auxiliary Roman Catholic bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has been identified as a murder after cops ruled out suicide, officials and reports say.
David O’Connell, 69, who was found dead in his Hacienda Heights home with a gunshot wound to the chest on Saturday afternoon, will be remembered as a ‘guiding light,’ the sheriff’s office said of Los Angeles County in a Facebook post.
“We can only imagine how much the community is suffering because of this senseless murder,” the post said. “Bishop O’Connell was a guide to so many, and his legacy will live on through the community he helped build.”
Investigators are “working diligently to track down those responsible,” the office added. Suicide has been ruled out in this case, according to a ABC News reporter which cited the sheriff’s office.
AUXILIARY BISHOP DAVID O’CONNELL SHOT AND KILLED IN CALIFORNIA
Bishop David O’Connell, Archdiocese of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region of Los Angeles (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
His death was previously confirmed by Bishop José H. Gomez during Mass on Saturday.
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Bishop David O’Connell (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
“Our beloved Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell passed away suddenly,” he said. “It’s a shock and I have no words to express my sadness.
O’Connell served as a priest and then bishop in Los Angeles for 45 years, Gomez said, calling him “a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and immigrants.”
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“He was also a good friend, and I will miss him dearly. I know we all will,” Gomez continued. “Please join me in praying for Bishop Dave and his family in Ireland. May Our Lady of Guadalupe wrap him in the mantle of her love, and may the angels lead him to heaven, and may he rest in peace. “
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O’Connell was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015. He was born in Ireland.
The sheriff’s office added on Facebook that the department’s “thoughts and prayers are with” those who are grieving and “that @lasdhq is here to support you.”
Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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