In the photo, the Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles found the dead David O’Connell. The Archbishop of Los Angeles, José H. Gomez, spoke of an “unexpected” death. The South LA community
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles David O’Connellknown for many years for his work with immigrants, the poor and victims of gun violence in South LA, he was shot and killed.
This was announced by the Catholic News Agency on Sunday. The shooting happened around 1 a.m. at a home in the Hacienda Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles County, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
O’Connell, 69, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Some US media say O’Connell may have ended up in the middle of a shooting. There is currently no confirmation in this regard, nor have the authorities given details of a possible suspect or the motive for the murder.
The American city’s archbishop, José Gomez, released a statement confirming that O’Connell, a native of Ireland who had worked in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for the past 45 years, had died suddenly. Pope Francis appointed him bishop in 2015.
“I am very saddened to announce this afternoon that our beloved Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell passed away unexpectedly,” Gomez said in the statement. “It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness,” the Archbishop of Los Angeles continued, describing “Bishop Dave” as “a good friend” and “a man of deep prayer who loved our mother dearly“. O’Connell “was a man of peace with a heart for the poor and immigrants and was passionate about building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life is honored and protected” added Gomez, asking for prayers for the bishop’s soul, which he entrusted to the Virgin of Guadalupe, and for his family in Ireland, who mourn his loss.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released a statement on Facebook Sunday, addressed to the bereaved in South LA. “We can only imagine how much the community suffers from this senseless killing. Bishop O’Connell was a guide to so many, and his legacy will live on through the community he helped build“, the statement said. “Please know that you are not alone in your pain and that we are here to support you. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and we are working diligently to find those responsible.”