One of at least 36 mass shootings that have occurred in the US this month is the latest incident in Monterey Park, California, wherein the gunman responsible for this horrific incident died.
As of writing, the death toll reached at least 11 people from the Asian community members.
Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese said in a CNN report that police arrived in the area in three to four minutes.
A bystander tackled and disarmed the suspect after he ran away and entered another dance class in neighboring Alhambra.
MONTEREY PARK, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 23: People embrace at a makeshift memorial outside the scene of a deadly mass shooting at a ballroom dance studio on January 23, 2023 in Monterey Park, California. An eleventh person has died and ten more were injured at the studio near a Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday night. A candlelight vigil for the victims will be held in the predominantly Asian American community of Monterey Park tonight. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
California Mass Shooting Gunman Dies
Reports mentioned that the gunman fled the area, but police eventually tracked him down a day later in Torrance, California, some 30 miles away, in a white van. He had shot himself in the head and was dead as a result.
Officials identified Huu Chan Tran, a 72-year-old Chinese immigrant known for having a violent temper and a passion for dancing, as responsible for the mass shooting.
BBC News mentioned that investigators found 42 bullet casings at the dancehall, suggesting that the suspect fired 42 rounds during the assault.
Another victim was discovered inside a vehicle outside the venue. If the victim was shot before the assailant entered the building was not immediately apparent.
The police determined the weapon to be a modified Mac-10 semi-automatic handgun. Police withheld the specifics of the gun’s modification from the public.
The casualties comprised two women and five males, all of whom were in their 50s, 60s, or 70s, as well as ladies between the ages of 63 and 65.
Authorities also discovered a firearm and several rounds of ammunition, along with indications that he was manufacturing gun silencers at the elderly suspect’s house.
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Motive Behind Killing
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna, in a story from the Associated Press (via KCRA), mentioned that the gunman’s motive for the shooting has not yet been determined.
However, Luna mentioned that the suspect had been visiting Monterey Park dance hall frequently before he shot and killed partygoers at the Lunar New Year celebration.
