The death of Archbishop David O’Connell, 69, occurred on September 21, 1992 in Hacienda Heights, Calif.
Los Angeles Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, 69, was found dead with a gunshot wound on Saturday at his home in Hacienda Heights, Calif. According to LAist, the body of the man was discovered by the deacon who went to check on him.
“He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected,” the archbishop added.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department previously said investigators responded to a shooting death at 12:57 p.m. on Saturday in the LA suburb of Hacienda Heights, where an adult male was pronounced dead.
O’Connell was born in County Cork, Ireland, and ordained in the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1979, the diocesan news site Angelus News reported. O’Connell was named an auxiliary bishop by Pope Francis.
O’Connell ministered to communities dealing with gang violence and poverty in southern Los Angeles while he was an associate pastor. Angelus said that he worked to restore trust in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
He said that he enjoyed being the pastor of the people who were in need and facing difficulty the most.
The LA Daily News reporter Clara Harter said that the people of the parish gathered at the scene of O’Connell’s death to light candles.
Linda said that O’Connell was there for every child and family she has represented. Always. Helping, supporting and generally being the face of Jesus for me and many many others.”
Los Angeles Reverend José H. Gomez, Primate of Los Angeles, Addressed the Shooting Death of Bishop Dave OConnell
A man was taken into custody in connection with the shooting death of a Catholic bishop renowned for his work as a community “peacemaker,” the LA County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday.
The Reverend José H. Gomez, primate of Los Angeles, said in a statement that he has no words to describe his sadness over OConnell’s death.
Gomez said that Bishop Dave was a man of deep prayer who had a great love for Our Blessed Mother. “He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected.
he said that the task force is a labor of love, and that it is what schools and parishes are about. Not just for unaccompanied minors but for all our children. There’s an epidemic of hurting children, even the ones who have too much. They think we’ve abandoned them. The migrant youths have become a metaphor for our society.
“I’m brokenhearted. I’ve been crying for the last few days knowing that he’s no longer here to share all of his inspiration and his prayers and everything with us,” parishioner Ramona Torres said.
Authorities are investigating the murder of Carlos Medina, the widower of Carlos O’Connell, a Los Angeles gang leader and a friend of his father
The man accused of being the suspect is Carlos Medina, O’Connell’s widower, said the sheriff at a news conference. There was work done around O’Connell’s home.
“I’ve been part of the people’s lives, and been there during the suffering of the young people who have lost their lives so many times, but I haven’t had any problems,” O’Connell told Angelus News in 2015. “I do believe what’s really important is for us to be out in the neighborhoods, to be out with the people.”
State Sen. Bob Archuleta said at the news conference O’Connell “had the ability to walk the streets everywhere he went,” bringing together people from all walks of life — from gang members to clergy members.
“This was a brutal act of violence against a person who has dedicated his life to making our neighborhoods safer, healthier, and always serving with love and compassion,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said Wednesday in a news conference announcing the murder charge.
Authorities are trying to find out what led to the death of O’Connell, who was praised as a community peacemaker. O’Connell was a pillar of the Los Angeles area who championed the immigrant community as well as vulnerable groups such as homeless people and those in need.
There were firearms and other evidence found at Medina’s home that could be linked to the crime. The guns still needed to be examined to determine whether they were linked to the bishop’s killing, Luna said.
Several different reasons were offered by Medina when he was interviewed, and none of them made sense to investigators. We think there is no validity to the owing of money.
Medina was taken into custody Monday at his home in Torrance – roughly a 35-mile drive southwest of Hacienda Heights – after an hourslong standoff with police, authorities said.