MONTEREY PARK, Calif. – no decrease than 10 of us have been killed and 10 others wounded in a taking pictures rampage at a dance membership after a Lunar New yr celebration, authorities mentioned Sunday.
the la County Sheriff’s division mentioned the taking pictures at Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park was reported at 10:22 p.m. Saturday. The gunman remained at-massive Sunday, a helicopter sweeping over the world.
“Our very preliminary description has been described as a male Asian” between the ages of 30 and 50, l. a. County Sheriff Robert Luna mentioned. however he added that “we’ve gotten completely different descriptions of 1 suspect, so … please be affected person with us.”
Monterey Park is a metropolis of 60,000 of us about 10 miles east of downtown l. a.. The taking pictures occurred shortly after a Lunar New yr celebration launched 1000’s of of us to metropolis, which has a predominantly Asian inhabitants.
“we do not know if it is focused,” Sheriff’s Capt. Andrew Meyer mentioned at a press briefing early Sunday. “we’ll take a look at every angle, collectively with if it was a hate crime or not.”
The taking pictures was the nation’s deadliest since 24 of us have been killed in a Texas school in might.
Developments:
►California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that he was monitoring the taking pictures investigation. “Monterey Park ought to have had an night of festivity of the Lunar New yr. as a substitute, they have been the victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence.”
►Meyer mentioned Sunday that the shooter was male however supplied no description or motive for the carnage.
►Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese mentioned the second day of the two-day Lunar New yr celebration set for Sunday has been canceled “out of an abundance of warning and reverence for the victims.”
Neighbor: ‘individuals are going to be extra cautious’
Ben Wang, a 39-yr-previous Monterey Park resident who lives shut to the place the taking pictures occurred, mentioned his spouse informed him what occurred Sunday morning and deliberate to go to the close by Lunar New yr rivals earlier than it was canceled by metropolis officers. He added the world is a quiet, tight knit neighborhood.
“the purpose we moved right here, as a outcome of it is so shut to real Asian meals… it is a terribly small, little neighborhood really feel,” Wang informed USA right this second. “It’s definitely one of many Asian cultural epicenters. of us journey from all by way of Southern California to be round right here.”
Wang mentioned the taking pictures is the largest tragedy to happen inside the world since transferring right here in 2021, and would possibly have ripple outcomes on the neighborhood given it occurred shut to Lunar New yr celebrations.
“it is going to contribute to the sense of anti-Asian-like concern. even when it is confirmed to not (be a hate crime), individuals are simply going to level out into extra cautious,” he mentioned. “that is unfortunate. that is the largest cultural celebration for pretty a little bit of of us.”
metropolis distances rampage from Lunar New yr celebration
Monterey Park metropolis officers issued an announcement of condolences for the victims and distanced the tragedy from the rivals.
“although the incident did not happen on the 2023 Lunar New yr rivals, an lively investigation is at present underway and the world shut to and throughout the rivals is affected,” the assertion mentioned. “As a precaution and for the safety of everyone, metropolis regrets to announce the cancellation of the second day of the rivals” scheduled for Sunday.
President Biden monitoring taking pictures investigation
President Joe Biden has been briefed by Homeland safety Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall on the taking pictures, White dwelling press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned in a Twitter publish.
Later, Biden tweeted that “Jill and that i are praying for these killed and injured in final night’s lethal mass taking pictures in Monterey Park. I’m monitoring this event carefully as a outcome of it develops, and urge the neighborhood to adjust to steerage from native officers and legal guidelines enforcement inside the hours forward.”
Police examine doable hyperlink to Alhambra taking pictures
Meyer mentioned investigators have been checking studies that an tried taking pictures at a ballroom in Alhambra, a pair miles north of Monterey Park, is most possible associated. Investigators have been on the scene, he mentioned. No accidents have been immediately reported. Alhambra Mayor Sasha Renée Pérez tweeted condolences for victims inside the neighboring metropolis.
“To have this tragedy happen on Lunar New yr weekend, makes this particularly painful. Monterey Park is dwelling to definitely one of many largest (Asian-American Pacific Islander) communities inside the nation,” she mentioned. “it is a time when residents ought to be celebrating with household, buddies and relations – not fearing gun violence.”
Lunar New yr celebration was again after hiatus
Hours earlier than the taking pictures, Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo posted a brief video clip from the opening ceremonies on the rivals, which he mentioned had returned after a three yr absence. The clips displays tons of of of us gathered in and beneath a tent in sunshine as of us dance in brightly coloured animal costumes.
“Monterey Park’s Lunar New yr rivals is again!,” Lo wrote. “It was good to see such a large turnout right this second on the opening ceremony. it is a two day event that ends tomorrow night inside the night. Come on over … welcome the yr of the Rabbit!”
Dance membership proprietor from China
The membership’s internet web site says the proprietor, Maria Liang, purchased it in 2013 “as a outcome of of her ardour for dancing.” the internet web site describes the membership as a quantity of the in type expert ballroom studios in Southern California. Liang graduated from school in China and labored for Nike amongst completely different corporations. She bought here to the U.S. in 1987 to test enterprise at Cal State college, l. a.. Liang’s previous professions included working at East West financial institution, described as America’s hottest banking institution for the chinese language-American neighborhood.
Gun-administration advocate Brady United mourns ‘mindless assault’
Kris Brown, president of the gun-administration advocacy group Brady United, issued an announcement of condolence.
“it is devastating to dwell in a rustic the place we now want to regularly get as a lot as this horrific information. it is rather extra egregious that it has flip into regular for of us to be gunned down inside the midst of a joyous journey celebration,” the assertion mentioned. “there may even be no such factor as a spot in our nation for hate-crammed people to focus on others based mostly on prejudice, bigotry and racism. Our deepest sympathies are with the households and people impacted by this mindless assault on the chinese language neighborhood.”
Police reviewing surveillance video
Meyer mentioned the county homicide bureau was working the case collectively with Monterey Park Police, the FBI and the California office of Emergency companies. He mentioned it was too early inside the investigation to get hold of out a motive.
“The investigators are working every lead on this case,” Meyer mentioned. “we now have all our sources right here. … we’re reviewing all surveillance video, following all leads. We’re not going to depart something unturned.”
He mentioned investigators had not decided whether or not the shooter knew the victims and that it was too early to know whether or not the taking pictures was a hate crime.
Some wounded are in vital situation
Meyer mentioned officers responded to a name of pictures fired at round 10:30 pm native time.
“When officers arrived on scene they noticed pretty a quantity of people, patrons of the state of affairs, pouring out of the state of affairs screaming,” Meyer mentioned. He mentioned officers immediately entered the constructing. The wounded have been taken to hospitals the place their situations range from regular to vital, Meyer mentioned.
Video from the scene displays ambulances lined up awaiting of us being loaded onto stretchers. completely different photographs confirmed bloodied and bandaged victims being dealt with by firefighters in a car car parking zone.
“The suspect fled the scene and stays excellent,” Meyer mentioned.
the place is Monterey Park?
the state of affairs of the taking pictures in downtown Monterey Park is a quantity of blocks from metropolis hall on metropolis’s most important thoroughfare. Garvey Avenue is dotted with strip malls stuffed with small companies with indicators in each English and chinese language. Cantonese and Mandarin are each broadly spoken, chinese language holidays are celebrated, and chinese language movies are screened inside metropolis.
Monterey Park map
Shooter appeared to hearth indiscriminately, witnesses says
Wong Wei, who lives close by, informed the l. a. instances that a pal had gone to the dance membership that night with a bunch of buddies. His pal was inside the relaxation room when the taking pictures started, Wei mentioned. His pal bought here out and noticed a gunman and the our bodies of two ladies and a membership supervisor, Wei mentioned. The group of buddies fled to Wei’s dwelling, he mentioned.
The shooter appeared to hearth indiscriminately, his buddies informed him.
“They don’t know why, so as that they run,” he informed the instances.
Fifth US mass killing this month, deadliest since might
The tragedy marked the fifth mass killing inside the U.S. for the purpose that start of the yr. it is additionally the deadliest since might 24 when 21 of us have been killed in a college in Uvalde, Texas, in response to The associated Press/USA right this second database on mass killings inside the U.S. The database additionally displays that 2022 was additionally definitely one of many worst years ever by method of mass killings: forty two such assaults – the second-highest quantity for the purpose that creation of the tracker in 2006. The database defines a mass killing as 4 of us killed not collectively with the perpetrator.
the latest violence comes two months after 5 of us have been killed at a Colorado Springs nightclub.
MASS KILLING DATABASE:Revealing tendencies, particulars and anguish of every US event since 2006
what’s Lunar New yr?
Lunar New yr, typically referred to as chinese language New yr, is effectively acknowledged in a quantity of Asian nations, collectively with China, Vietnam, North Korea, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. Some traditions are shared, others are particular to these nations. It marks the start of the Lunar calendar yr, and months are moon cycles.
This yr the lunar yr begat Sunday, kicking off the yr of the Rabbit (besides Vietnam swaps a cat for the rabbit). Twelve animals take turns claiming the yr on a rotating basis. Legend says the animals crossed a dangerous river inside the subsequent order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, canine and pig.
Contributing: The associated Press
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