Arrest made in slaying of Los Angeles Bishop David O’Connell

A suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of Catholic Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, authorities announced Monday.

O’Connell, 69, of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles was found shot to death inside his Hacienda Heights home in the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue just before 1 p.m. Saturday. 

When authorities arrived they found O’Connell dead from a single gunshot wound to the upper torso, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

The shooting is being investigated as a homicide.

L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. Monday to announce the arrest. No information about the suspect or their connection to O’Connell was released.

O’Connell, who was a native of County Cork, Ireland, had served in the Los Angeles Archdiocese since 1979.

“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,” Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles said in a statement.

At a vigil outside O’Connell’s home Sunday evening, parishioners expressed shock and sorrow. He was described as loveable and humble.

“Everybody’s loss. Everybody that knew father, everybody that knew Bishop O’Connell … I mean, it’s just devastating,” Jerry Dietz told KTLA.

Check back for updates on this developing story.