At least 10 people were killed and 10 others injured in a shooting at a dance club following a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, California, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a brief statement saying the shooting was reported at 10:22 p.m. Saturday. The shooter remained at large
“Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department detectives are assisting the Monterey Park Police Department in an investigation into the death by shooting,” the statement said. The initial death toll was nine; authorities later said 10 people were killed.
Monterey Park is a city of 60,000 people located about 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The shooting took place shortly after a New Year’s celebration drew thousands to the city, which has a predominantly Asian population.
developments:
Sheriff’s Captain Andrew Meyer said Sunday that the shooter was male, but did not give a description or motive for the massacre.
►He said investigators were checking reports that an attempted shooting in a ballroom in Alhambra, a few miles north of Monterey Park, may be related.
►Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese said the second day of the two-day celebration scheduled for Sunday was canceled “out of an abundance of caution and respect for the victims.”
Police are watching surveillance video
Meyer said the county homicide bureau was working with the Monterey Park Police Department, the FBI and the California Office of Emergency Services on the case. He said it was too early in the investigation to determine a motive.
“The investigators are investigating every lead in this case,” Meyer said. “We have all our resources here. … We review all surveillance videos and follow all leads. We leave nothing unturned.”
He said investigators had not determined whether the shooter knew the victims.
“We don’t know if it’s targeted,” Meyer said.
Investigation of shooting incidents at the White House
President Biden has been briefed by Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall about the shooting, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a Twitter post.
“He instructed her to ensure that the FBI fully supports local authorities, and to update him regularly today as more details become known,” said Jean-Pierre.
Some injured in critical condition
Meyer said officers responded to a call of gunfire around 10:30 p.m. local time.
“When officers arrived at the scene, they saw numerous individuals, patrons of the site, pouring screams from the site,” Meyer said. He said officers immediately entered the building and found the dead and injured. The injured were taken to hospitals where their condition ranges from stable to critical, Meyer said.
Video from the scene shows ambulances lined up waiting for people to be loaded onto stretchers. Other photos showed bloodied and bandaged victims being treated by firefighters in a parking lot.
“The suspect fled the crime scene and remains open,” Meyer said.
Shooter appeared to shoot indiscriminately, witnesses say
Wong Wei, who lives nearby, told the Los Angeles Times that a friend went to the dance club with a group of friends that night. His friend was in the bathroom when the shooting started, Wei said. His friend came out and saw a gunman and the bodies of two women and a club manager, Wei said. The group of friends fled to Wei’s house, he said.
The gunman appeared to be firing indiscriminately, his friends told him.
“They don’t know why, so they run,” he told the Times.
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is celebrated in several Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, North Korea, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. Some traditions are shared, others are specific to those countries. It marks the beginning of the lunar calendar year and months are lunar cycles.
This year, the lunar year begins today, Sunday, kicking off the Year of the Rabbit (except Vietnam trades a cat for the rabbit). Twelve animals take turns claiming the year on a rotating basis. According to legend, the animals crossed a dangerous river in the following order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
Contributions: The The Bharat Express News
