LOS ANGELES – A Catholic bishop in Southern California was found dead Saturday from a gunshot wound, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Bishop David O’Connell was found in Hacienda Heights around 1:00 p.m., according to the newspaper.
Homicide detectives responded to a notice of “investigation into the shooting death,” according to county police information. Authorities located an adult male victim and certified him dead at the scene.
Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gómez confirmed the death, saying O’Connell, who served the city for 45 years as a priest and later as a bishop, “died so unexpected”.
“It’s a shock and I have no words to express my sadness,” Gomez said in a statement, describing him as “a good friend.”
“Bishop Dave was a man of deep prayer who had great love for Our Blessed Mother,” he said. “He 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 was honored and protected.”