Huu Can Tran, 72, found dead in a white van, has been named by California authorities as the gunman suspected of killing 10 people at a ballroom dance studio near Los Angeles.
According to LA County Sheriff Robert Luna (according to reports from the BBC), he suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. In Monterey Park, known for its large Asian community, New Year’s celebrations had already begun.
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The motive is still unknown to the police
At a press conference on Sunday in Monterey Park, the sheriff announced that ten persons were injured in the shooting, seven of whom are still hospitalized and some in serious condition.
He continued that the identities of the ten people who died are still being determined, but they “probably appear to be in their 50s, 60s, and some may even be beyond.” Officials had previously stated that five ladies and five men had been killed and were “probably” all of Asian descent.
One of the bloodiest mass shootings in California history began at the well-known Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, about seven miles (11 km) east of downtown Los Angeles, at about 10:22 p.m. local time on Saturday (06 :22 GMT on Sunday).
Police Chief Scott Wiese described what his officers discovered as a “scene of carnage”.
“They encountered a scene that none of them had prepared for” he said. “There were injured inside and dead inside. My young officers did their job.”
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The gunman showed up at another dance studio in the neighboring city of Alhambra about 30 minutes later. He entered the studio, but two persons were able to take the gun – a semi-automatic assault pistol with an extended magazine – from him and he managed to flee.
While stressing that he needed further investigation, Sheriff Luna said he believed the gun was illegal in California.
He praised the “two members of the community, whom I consider heroes. They saved lives; this could have been a lot worse’ the sheriff said, adding that he believes Tran planned to kill more people.
The shooter was wanted for hours in Los Angeles on Sunday
A SWAT team surrounded a white van in a parking lot in Torrance just before 1 p.m. local time (9 p.m. GMT), nearly 12 hours after the incident and about 30 miles from the Monterey Park shooting scene.
When they pulled up, according to Sheriff Luna, they heard a shot coming from the van. There they discovered that the suspect had slumped over the wheel. A firearm was found among the evidence and the identity of the shooter was confirmed.
California officials are announcing the efforts of two community members who managed to disarm the 72-year-old gunman who killed 10 people and injured 10 others at a dance studio Saturday.https://t.co/cD8EfIRfl4
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 23, 2023
According to the sheriff, there were no other suspects and it is believed the shooter acted alone. The police ‘assume’, he said, that the number plates of the van have been stolen.
About 65% of the people in Monterey Park are Asian Americans, making it the nation’s first “Chinese suburb.” It became the first city in the US mainland where the majority of the population was of Asian descent.
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The Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park was postponed while the neighborhood was in grief. Businesses began to remove the festive banners and red lanterns that adorned the streets.
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