Los Angeles bishop shot dead in Hacienda Heights

A Los Angeles County bishop known as a “peacemaker” was found dead of a gunshot wound in Hacienda Heights on Saturday, officials said.

David O’Connell, who served as a priest and bishop in L.A. County for nearly half a century, was found dead in the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue in Hacienda Heights around 1 p.m., according to sheriff’s officials and a statement from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

“It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness. As a priest and later a bishop here in Los Angeles for 45 years, Bishop Dave was a man of deep prayer who had a great love for our blessed mother,” Archbishop Jose Gomez said in a statement.

“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 was also a good friend, and I will miss him greatly. I know we all will.”

Gomez said only that O’Connell had “passed away unexpectedly.” In a brief statement, the sheriff’s department said it was investigating the shooting death of an adult male at 12:57 p.m. on Saturday. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s department, which offered no details about a possible suspect or motive. A spokeswoman declined to answer questions Saturday night.

O’Connell earned the title of bishop in 2015, according to the website for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.