Monterey Park mass shooting: 10 killed, 10 injured after Southern California Lunar New Year festival
Ten people were killed, and another 10 were injured in a mass shooting late Saturday in Monterey Park following a Lunar New Year celebration that attracted thousands.
The suspect was identified Sunday evening by Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran. Luna confirmed he was dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There are no outstanding suspects.
According to authorities, at approximately 10:22 p.m., officers from the Monterey Park police department responded to a "shots fired" call at a dance studio on the 100 block of West Garvey Avenue in Monterey Park.
"When officers arrived on scene, they observed numerous individuals - patrons of the location - pouring out of the location, screaming," said Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Ten of the victims were pronounced deceased at the scene. They were described as five males and five females. Their identities have not been released. Of the injured, there were at least 10 additional victims who were transported to various hospitals, including LAC+USC Medical Center, and were listed in various conditions from stable to critical.
"We want to express our profound sympathies to the families and loved ones of those whose lives were violently taken in this tragedy," said Jorge Orozco, the CEO of LAC+USC Medical Center.
"The suspect fled the scene and remains outstanding," said Meyer. As of 11 a.m., Torrance police reported that a white cargo van -- deemed a vehicle of interest in the mass shooting -- was surrounded. A law enforcement source says SWAT has surrounded the van and that the suspect inside has shot himself. It remains unclear whether he has survived.
Officials said they are working with Torrance PD to resolve a barricade situation. They indicate they do not know whether the same suspect holed up inside the van is the Monterey Park suspect.
At about 12:40 p.m. on Sunday, Almost a dozen officers cleared the vehicle, which was pinned between three armored law enforcement vehicles called Bearcats.
Sources have confirmed to CBS News that the suspect has died.
According to the sources, it appears the suspect shot and killed himself inside the van which was the subject of an armed standoff with Torrance police on Hawthorne and Sepulveda Boulevards, next to the Del Amo Mall. LASD confirmed the details later Sunday evening.
The shooting occurred about an hour after a large Lunar New Year festival in the area had ended that thousands of people attended earlier in the day. By 9 p.m., locals said most of the visitors had cleared out of the area.
"This could have been so much worse. Only hours earlier, all of us were together only one block away at the Lunar New Year festival. All of us standing right here were there," said Representative Judy Chu of the 28th Congressional District during a morning press conference. "There were thousands there and it is horrible that such a thing could occur at a time of celebration for so many in the AAPI community and in the Asian community worldwide. This is a time to be with family, to celebrate, and, yet, this tore a hole in all of our hearts."
One neighbor told KCAL News the gunshots sounded like fireworks, but due to the celebrations in the area, he did not think much of it at the time.
"It's difficult to believe that it happened here in Monterey Park," said Henry Lo, the city's Mayor. "We want to express our condolences to the victims and their families."
In addition to the shooting scene, officials have revealed there is a second possible location in Alhambra where the shooter possibly had gone. That incident occurred 17 minutes after the Monterey Park shooting. There, an Asian male walked into a dance hall armed but his firearm was wrestled away. Police said he fled in a white cargo van.
No one was hurt at the second scene located at the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio on 120 block of South Garfield Avenue in Alhambra, though police remained on scene for several hours before clearing the scene around 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
"We are aware of an incident that occurred in Alhambra and we have investigators on scene trying to determine if there is a connection," said Capt. Meyer. "The investigators are working every lead on this case. We are reviewing all surveillance video and following all leads. We are not going to leave anything unturned."
Alhambra's Mayor, Sasha Renée Pérez, shared a statement via Twitter, indicating:
"To have this tragedy occur on Lunar New Year weekend, makes this especially painful. Monterey Park is home to one of the largest #AAPI communities in the country. This is a time when residents should be celebrating with family, friends and loved ones - not fearing gun violence," Pérez said.
A motive for the mass shooting remains unknown. "As far as motive goes, it is too early to know what the motive is," said Capt. Meyer.
"I hope that we can make a determination as to whether or not this was a hate crime," added Rep. Chu, Monterey Park's former Mayor.
Officials have not yet determined whether the incident is a hate crime.
"Everything is on the table. We don't know if this is specifically a hate crime defined by law but who walks into a dance hall and guns down 20 people? The description that we have now is of a male Asian. Does that matter? I don't know. I can tell you that everything is on the table," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. "Our detectives are looking at every possibility with our partners."
Meanwhile, the LAPD has indicated that it has added patrols across the city's Asian communities Sunday.
Based on preliminary accounts, Sheriff Robert Luna said the suspect was described as an Asian male between the age of 30 to 50.
The Lunar New Year Festival in Monterey Park has been canceled for Sunday, officials said.
"Even though the incident did not occur at the 2023 Lunar New Year Festival, an active investigation is currently underway and the area near and around the festival is affected. As a precaution and for the safety of everyone, the City regrets to announce the cancellation of the second day of the festival, which was scheduled for today, Sunday, January 22," the City of Monterey Park said in a statement.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department-Homicide Bureau was leading the investigation, in conjunction with multiple other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.
"It's a large investigation that will go on for many days and perhaps many months," said Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese. "My concern now is the safety of the city of Monterey Park. My officers are on duty. I brought in extra officers from home to make sure the community is safe. We will continue to patrol this community and respond to anything that happens here."
A victim's assistance center has been set up at the Langley Senior Center located at 400 W. Emerson in Monterey Park.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's-Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or CRIME-STOPPERS at 800-222-8477.
Mental health support will be available to the students of Robert Hill Lane Elementary School following the devastating shooting.
The school is about 3 miles away from the shooting. Additionally, the Los Angeles Unified School District said that they will have additional patrols on campus.
"The safety and well-being of our students and staff remains a top priority in all that we do," officials said.
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