Authorities were looking for a reason for Saturday’s attack in the Los Angeles, California area when one shooter killed 10 people at a dance club during the Lunar New Year celebrations.
The killings shocked Asian American communities in the region and marred celebrations across the country.
The suspect, Huu Can Tran, 72 years old, He was found shot and killed by himself in a pickup truck on Sunday, authorities say he fled when people stopped him from committing another shooting Saturday night. The New York Times reported it a family member whoever runs the place snatched the gun from the attacker.
The massacre was the fifth mass murder this month in the United States and hit one of California’s largest celebrations of a date marked in many Asian cultures. The event once again hurt a community that has been the target of violence in recent years.
It was also the attack more deadly since May 24, when 21 people were killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
There were no other suspects on the run, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. In a late night press conference, he said the reason for the attack remained unknown. In addition to the dead, there are 10 injured, seven of whom are still hospitalized.
Although Luna indicated in his Sunday evening press conference that he did not know the exact ages of the victims, he stressed that all of the deceased they appeared to be over 50 years old.
The suspect was carrying what the police chief described as a semi-automatic pistol. with extended magazine. A second handgun was found in the van in which Tran’s body was found.
“The place was in shambles”
Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese said Sunday evening that officers had arrived at the scene. less than three minutes after receiving the report. there they found a huge massacre and people trying to escape through all the doors.
When they got to the parking lot the place was chaosWiese noticed.
About 20-30 minutes after the first attack, the attacker entered the Lai Lai Ballroom in the nearby city of Alhambra. But two people managed to disarm him and the man ran away, Luna said.
The New York Times indicated that after entering the club, the attacker pointed the gun at Brandon Tsay, who works a few days a week at the place set up by his grandparents. Tsay said she acted on instinct and reached for the gun when he got the feeling the man wanted to hurt people. The two fought before Tsay got hold of the gun, he said.
Although police said more than one person was involved in the incident, Tsay and his family said security footage showed the 26-year-old computer programmer he averted another tragedy single-handedly.
The suspect then fled in a white van, according to witnesses.
The vehicle was found in Torrance, another city with many Asian Americans, about 22 miles (34.5 kilometers) from that second location.
After hours of surrounding the vehicle, security officers approached and agreed. One person’s body appeared to have collapsed onto the handlebars and was later removed. Members of an assault team checked the contents of the truck before setting off.
At the same press conference, Congresswoman Judy Chu said so he still had questions about the attackbut he hoped the residents would feel safe now.
The questions
The community was afraid not to go to any event because there was a gunman there, Chu said. I’m no longer in danger.
What was the motive of this man who fired? he asked. Did he have a mental illness? Had he committed domestic violence? How did you get these weapons, and was it through legal means or not?
Monterey Park is a city of approximately 60,000 located on the eastern edge of Los Angeles and made up primarily of first-generation Asian immigrants from China or Asian Americans.
The shooting took place downtown, where red lanterns decorated the streets for Lunar New Year celebrations. A police vehicle was parked near a large banner proclaiming “Happy Year of the Rabbit!”
The celebration in Monterey Park It is one of the largest in California. Two days of festivities were planned, attended by up to 100,000 people in previous years. But the authorities they canceled the proceedings Sunday after the shooting.
Associated press
ap
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.