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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 21 February 2023

Arrest made in killing of Catholic bishop in California

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and "He was a peacemaker
DAMIAN DOVARGANES and had a passion serving
Associated Press those in need while improv-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A sus- ing our community," Sheriff
pect has been arrested Robert Luna said on Twitter.
in the killing of a Catholic Neighbors and parishioners
bishop who was fatally shot left flowers and candles
over the weekend in South- and prayed the rosary next
ern California in a crime to police tape in Hacienda
that shocked the Los Ange- Heights on Sunday.
les religious and immigrant Gabriela Gil, who first met
communities, authorities O'Connell when she was
said Monday. pregnant with her young-
The person was arrested in est child, was among
the killing of Auxiliary Bishop those who prayed outside
David O'Connell, who was O'Connell's home.
found in his home with a "I've never ever felt more
gunshot wound and de- understood by anyone in
clared dead at the scene, this world," she said.
Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputy The Diocese of Cork and
Lizette Falcon said. Ross in Ireland, where
Sheriff Robert Luna was ex- O'Connell was born, was
pected to provide details Bishop David O'Connell, of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, attends a news conference at the Fall shocked by the priest's
at a news conference at 3 General Assembly meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, on Nov. 17, 2021, death. Bishop Fintan Gavin
p.m. Pacific time. in Baltimore. said in a statement that
O'Connell, 69, was killed Associated Press O'Connell "has always
just blocks from the St. John have not said whether the O'Connell worked in South er, O'Connell brought the maintained his connection
Vianney Catholic Church, bishop was targeted or if his Los Angeles for years and San Gabriel Valley com- with family and friends in
part of his archdiocese, in religion might have been a focused on gang inter- munity together to rebuild Cork" through frequent vis-
Hacienda Heights, an un- factor. vention, Angelus News re- a mission there destroyed its back to Ireland.
incorporated community O'Connell had been a ported. He later sought to an arson attack. In recent The violence was the lat-
about 20 miles (30 kilome- priest for 45 years and was broker peace between years he also spearheaded est to rock religious leaders
ters) east of downtown Los a native of Ireland, accord- residents and law enforce- Catholic efforts in the re- in Los Angeles. Two Jewish
Angeles. ing to Angelus News, the ment following the violent gion to work with immigrant men were shot and wound-
O'Connell was found news outlet of the Archdio- 1992 uprising after a jury children and families from ed last week by a gunman
around 1 p.m. Saturday with cese of Los Angeles, the na- acquitted four white LA Central America. who authorities said had
a gunshot wound. Sheriff's tion's largest. In 2015, Pope police officers in the beat- Sheriff Luna called targeted them for their
deputies were called to the Francis named him one of ing of Rodney King, a Black O'Connell a peacemaker faith. Suspect Jaime Tran
area for a report of a medi- several auxiliary bishops of man. and offered the agency's has been charged with
cal emergency. Authorities the archdiocese. Nearly two decades lat- condolences. federal hate crimes.q

Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe

out at right-wing org

and hiding identities to try ing his remarks, said sev- and Democratic politi-
to ensnare journalists in em- eral times that the nearly cians. O'Keefe founded the
barrassing conversations 45-minute speech was for nonprofit group 13 years
and to reveal supposed lib- staff internally, but it was ago, and its most recent IRS
eral bias. posted on the Vimeo plat- filings provided to charity
"So currently, I have no job form. regulators in Florida show
at Project Veritas," O'Keefe The announcement comes it brought in more than $20
said in the video. "I have no after the group's execu- million in revenue in 2021.
position here based upon tive director and several Last year, two Florida resi-
what the board has done. board members put out a dents pleaded guilty to sell-
James O'Keefe, President of Project Veritas Action, waits to be So I'm announcing to you statement last week saying ing a diary and other items
introduced during a news conference at the National Press Club all that today on President's that "a number of our staff from President Joe Biden's
on Sept. 1, 2015, in Washington.
Associated Press Day, I'm packing up my members provided lead- daughter to Project Veri-
personal belongings." ership with some verbal tas for $40,000, prosecutors
Messages seeking com- feedback describing real said. As part of its investiga-
MAMARONECK, N.Y. (AP) O'Keefe said the board ment were left with management concerns tion, the FBI searched the
— Project Veritas founder had stripped him of all de- O'Keefe, the group's ex- regarding the treatment group's New York offices
James O'Keefe said in a cision-making. The move ecutive director, and attor- of people and our internal and the homes of some
speech posted online Mon- comes after the board re- neys for Project Veritas and processes." employees in 2021.
day that he has been re- portedly put him on leave O'Keefe, as well as other Project Veritas, which iden- Neither Project Veritas nor
moved as the right-wing from his role as chairman officials with the organiza- tifies itself as a news organi- any staffers have been
group's leader. amid complaints about his tion, which is based in Ma- zation, is best known for its charged with a crime, and
In remarks that appeared treatment of staff at the or- maroneck, New York. hidden camera stings that the group has said its activi-
to have been made at ganization, which is known O'Keefe, who choked up have embarrassed news ties were protected by the
a Project Veritas' office, for using hidden cameras and wiped away tears dur- outlets, labor organizations First Amendment.q