Sunday, authorities in Monterey Park, California, said that 72-year-old Huu Can Tran was the prime suspect in the shooting deaths of ten individuals and injury of ten others. This shooting rampage, the worst in the United States since Uvalde, took place in a ballroom dance school during festivities for the Lunar New Year.
Later in the evening, authorities claim Tran attempted to attack a second dance club but failed.
Several miles east of downtown Los Angeles, in a primarily Asian neighborhood, a shooting erupted inside Star Ballroom Dance Studio at roughly 10:20 p.m. Saturday.
At a news conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reported 10 persons had been found dead: 5 women and 5 males. All of the wounded were sent to local hospitals, where their situations ranged from stable to critical.
As of Sunday night, the hospital count was still at seven.
My heart and deepest condolences goes out to the families and friends of victims killed in a mass-shooting in Los Angeles.
A horrible tragedy during what is supposed to be a time of celebration. https://t.co/giYzJFk4Mq
— Rachel Notley (@RachelNotley) January 23, 2023
About twenty to thirty minutes after the incident in Monterey Park, Tran entered the Lai Lai Ballroom in neighboring Alhambra with a magazine-fed semi-automatic weapon, according to officials.
Two heroic members of the community “decided to leap into action and disarm him,” Sheriff Luna said, “and I can tell you that the suspect marched in there possibly with the aim to kill more people.” “They did it, grabbed the firearm, and the suspect took off running.”
After hours of searching, police eventually located the suspect in a white van 25 miles southwest of Monterey Park. Police encircled the van at a parking lot near Sepulveda and Hawthorne late Sunday morning using tactical vehicles and bomb-squad trucks.
According to Sheriff Luna, Tran shot himself inside the car and was found dead.
Photographs released by investigators during the manhunt showed Tran with a wool cap that became instantly recognizable.
Luna stated that all leads have been exhausted, but the case is still ongoing as detectives try to pin down a motive.
Monterey Park hosts what is arguably Southern California’s largest Lunar New Year extravaganza. After the shooting on Sunday, the second day of celebrations was called off. Other Lunar New Year celebrations, such as those at the Citadel Outlets and the USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, were also called off.
Sadly, hatred towards Asian people overshadowed the celebrations, and this barbaric act is proof that we must remain vigilant against racism. Hoping that the victims and families will be courageous in this time of grief.https://t.co/Vx0biZZAXH
— Steven Guilbeault (@s_guilbeault) January 23, 2023
The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, spoke out against the violence and made a Sunday night visit to the neighborhood.
Visited Monterey Park today to speak with community leaders and victims of the recent shooting. Newsom stated that “the strength of this community is wonderful.” This level of gun violence is unprecedented in any other country. Real gun control at the national level is essential.
Supervisor Hilda Solis of Los Angeles County, who represents Monterey Park and attended yesterday’s celebration, remarked on the city’s “importance as having one of the biggest percentages of AAPI residents in the United States.”
She tweeted that for decades, “the city has elevated the cultures and histories of AAPIs in this country,” overcoming prejudice and redefining what it means to be American. “While we determine whether or not this is a hate crime, we must keep working to ensure the safety of our communities in the meantime.”
