At least 11 people were killed in a mass shooting Saturday at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, as the city’s Asian American community was celebrating Lunar New Year weekend.
Police are still investigating the gunman’s motive. They disclosed Monday that“hundreds of rounds” of ammunition as well as homemade “firearm suppressors” were found in his home.
Shortly after the attack, he was disarmed when he showed up at a second studio in nearby Alhambra – and officials hailed the man who wrestled away his firearm as a hero.
Our live coverage of the Monterey Park mass shooting has ended. Read the latest updates here.
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2 Taiwanese Americans among the dead in Monterey Park mass shooting, officials say
From CNN’s Beijing bureau
Two Taiwanese Americans were among the victims of the deadly Monterey Park mass shooting, according to Taiwan’s de facto diplomatic representative in Los Angeles, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO).
The office said it is aiding family members of one victim who live in Taiwan and plan to come to Los Angeles as soon as possible.
The victims: As of Monday night, four of the 11 victims killed have been named by authorities: Xiujuan Yu, 57, Mymy Nhan, 65, Lilan Li, 63, and Valentino Alvero, 68.
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Monterey Park mayor says community now on a "long road of recovery" after mass shooting
From CNN's Taylor Romine
Monterey Park is setting forth on the “long road of recovery” to heal after Saturday night’s deadly mass shooting, Mayor Henry Lo said Monday night.
Speaking to CNN’s Laura Coates, Lo said the community is in “disbelief and shock” and people “are feeling very numb.”
Monterey Park will hold a vigil for the victims on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET) and a crisis center is open in the city for anyone who needs services, Lo added.
He also shared condolences to those in Northern California’s Half Moon Bay after a suspected gunman killed seven people in two shootings there on Monday.
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Monterey Park victim Valentino Alvero was a US citizen of Filipino descent, consulate says
From CNN's Kathleen Magramo and Alex Stambaugh
Monterey Park victim Valentino Alvero was a United States citizen of Filipino descent, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles said in a statement Monday that expressed “shock and great sadness” over the mass shooting that claimed 11 lives.
Alvero, 68, was earlier identified as one of the victims by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.
The Philippine consulate said it is ready to assist Alvero’s family should they reach out for any help.
The consulate also called on the community to “exercise all caution and continue being vigilant during these uncertain times.”
The victims: As of Monday night, four of the 11 victims have been named by authorities. They include three women: Xiujuan Yu, 57, Mymy Nhan, 65, and Lilan Li, 63.
Officials have not yet released the names of the other three women and four men killed in the attack, but they have provided general age ranges. Of those not identified yet, three were in their 60s and four were in their 70s.
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Authorities say at least 7 people were killed after shootings in Northern California on Monday
From CNN’s Joe Sutton
Law enforcement investigates a shooting off state Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay, California on Monday.
(Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group/AP)
At least seven people are dead and one person is critically injured after shootings in two locations in Half Moon Bay, California on Monday night, according to authorities.
Dave Pine, San Mateo Board of Supervisors president, told CNN the suspect has been apprehended and is a 67-year-old man who lives in Half Moon Bay.
One shooting took place at a mushroom farm and another near a trucking facility, approximately 2 miles from the farm.
Deputies found four victims dead and one wounded upon arrival at the first location, and soon after, three more dead victims were found at a separate site, San Mateo Sheriff Christina Corpus said at a news briefing.
This incident comes just two days after at least 11 people were killed in the mass shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was meeting with victims of the mass shooting in Monterey Park when he was pulled away to be briefed on the shooting in Half Moon Bay.
There have now been 38 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023, according to the nonprofit organization Gun Violence Archive — more than there have been at this point in any year on record.
Read CNN’s live coverage of the Half Moon Bay shooting here.
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Brandon Tsay details 40-second altercation that ended with him disarming the gunman
From CNN's Amir Vera
Brandon Tsay speaks with CNN's Anderson Cooper about the Monterey Park shooting on Monday, January 23, 2023.
CNN
Brandon Tsay, the man who disarmed Monterey Park suspect Huu Can Tran, said he had never held a gun prior to his altercation on Saturday.
Tran, who was pronounced dead Sunday following a self-inflicted gunshot wound, is suspected of killing 11 people and wounding nine others in a shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California on Saturday.
Following the massacre, the 72-year-old gunman walked into the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in nearby Alhambra, California — a moment Tsay said initially made him freeze up.
“He had a gun pointed at me. It seemed like he was trying to scout out the room for other people,” Tsay said. “He didn’t say anything at all, he was silent, even stoic, very scary that he wasn’t even saying anything or giving me any instructions.”
When it seemed like the gunman was preparing to fire his weapon, Tsay said he sprang into action.
Realizing the gunman was distracted, Tsay said he lunged at him with both arms and grabbed his weapon.
“I would say the struggle lasted 40 seconds,” Tsay said. “But it felt like way longer, it felt like an eternity with the adrenaline and my thoughts.”
Tsay said he was able to yank the gun away, then pointed the weapon at the gunman and told him to leave, threatening to shoot him.
Asked if he ever thought he was capable of shooting someone, Tsay said:
Tsay has been hailed as a hero for his actions.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted a picture of his meeting with Tsay simply saying: “This is what a hero looks like.”
Tsay said he understands the responsibility of the word “hero.”
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Officials shared new details in its shooting investigation. Here's what we know now
From CNN staff
Officials are still investigating many of the details of the mass shooting Saturday that left 11 people dead in Monterey Park, California.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna and several other officials provided updates Monday while acknowledging they still don’t have a motive for the rampage at a dance studio.
What we know so far is that the 72-year-old gunman walked into Star Ballroom Dance Studio in the Los Angeles neighborhood and opened fire shortly after a Lunar New Year celebration. The man then drove to a second dance hall in neighboring Alhambra where he entered with a firearm but fled after being disarmed, officials said.
The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday when his vehicle was approached by police officers.
Here’s what else we learned:
The victims: Four of the 11 victims have been named so far. They are Xiujuan Yu, a 57-year-old woman, Valentino Alvero, a 68-year-old man, Mymy Nhan, a 65-year-old woman, and Lilan Li, a 63-year-old woman the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office said. Officials said they are still working to notify the families of the other victims before identifying them.
The scene at the dance studio: The gunman fired 42 rounds of ammunition from a high-capacity handgun at the dance hall in Monterey Park, according to Luna. The sheriff said officials believe one person was shot outside of the studio in a vehicle before the gunman continued his rampage inside. Luna said they are “still putting it all together,” including determining if the shooting was planned.
Search of the suspect’s home: Investigators found a “few items of interest” at the shooter’s mobile home — some of which led officials to believe he was “manufacturing homemade firearm suppressors,” Luna said. Officials also found “hundreds of rounds of ammunition.” The items, which now need to be thoroughly tested, according to the sheriff, were gathered from a search warrant that was executed earlier Monday.
No motive yet: The gunman’s motive is still unknown, several officials said. The suspect had a “limited criminal history,” according to the sheriff, noting an arrest in 1990 for unlawful possession of a firearm. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said he believes the shooting seems to have been targeted, pointing to the fact that the gunman was “very familiar” with the dance studio where the shooting took place. People who knew the gunman told CNN that he used to go to the studio frequently.
Mass shootings in America: There have been 36 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023. That’s more than there have been at this point in any year on record. The shooting in Monterey Park was the deadliest attack since the Uvalde massacre in May 2022.
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At least one Chinese citizen killed in Monterey Park mass shooting, consulate says
From CNN’s Beijing Bureau
People leave flowers and candles at the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California for the victims of the mass shooting on Monday.
(David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images)
At least one Chinese citizen was killed in the Monterey Park mass shooting on Saturday, the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles said in a statement.
The statement didn’t specify how many Chinese citizens were among the 11 victims.
“The serious shooting incident in the Chinese community is shocking and deeply regrettable,” the Chinese Consulate said in the statement. The Chinese embassy and consulates in the US were ordered to lower their flags to half-staff.
The consulate also reminded Chinese citizens in its consular district to “raise risk awareness, strengthen security precautions, and ensure their own safety,” according to the statement.
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73-year-old woman injured in shooting discharged from hospital
From CNN's Taylor Romine
A 73-year-old woman who was injured in Saturday’s mass shooting in Monterey Park has been released from LAC+USC Medical Center, a statement from Chief Executive Officer Jorge Orozco said.
The medical center announced Monday afternoon one of the four patients they were caring for died from their injuries.
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"The light of the class": Mymy Nhan's instructor remembers her energy on the dance floor
Mymy Nhan, who was killed in the mass shooting in Monterey Park, had a constant smile on her face and was “the light” of any dance class. That is how Maksym Kapitanchuk, Nhan’s dance instructor, is remembering her.
He said he met Nhan in 2010. She became one of his first students and helped him start his dance teaching career.
As loved ones remember not just Nhan, but all 11 victims killed in the shooting, Kapitanchuk said he knows people will come together, describing the network of dancers as an “incredibly strong and positive community.”
He said those who come to the studio were dedicated, even if they just take dance lessons as a hobby. He said he already has eight classes confirmed for Tuesday.
“This type of violence, it won’t put them down. They’re going to be fighting until the end. They’re going to stay so positive.”
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Los Angeles County DA: Mass shooting seems to have been very targeted
The gunman was “very familiar” with the dance studio in Monterey Park where the shooting took place, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón told CNN’s Erin Burnett Monday.
As far as how the gunman was able to get a hold of weapons — one of which was a modified semi-automatic firearm — that are considered illegal in California, Gascón said he “has been a gun enthusiast for many years,” so it is possible he acquired some of the weapons before they were illegal in California.
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One victim was likely shot in vehicle outside dance studio before gunman entered, sheriff says
One victim was likely shot outside of Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park before the gunman went inside and continued shooting, ultimately killing 11 people, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
That person was killed in a vehicle, the sheriff said at a news conference Monday.
Luna said investigators are still looking at whether the gunman planned the shooting and what the motive was.
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Gunman's motive still unknown in mass shooting, sheriff says
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, at podium, holds a press conference outside Monterey Park City Hall in Monterey Park on Sunday.
(Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images)
The gunman’s motive in Saturday’s mass shooting is still unknown, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Luna said the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office are all assisting in the investigation.
Investigators did discover the gunman was attempting to manufacture “homemade firearm suppressors,” Luna said, after they gathered items at his home after a search warrant was executed earlier Monday.
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Sheriff thanks "hero" for singlehandedly disarming gunman in Alhambra dance studio
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna thanked Brandon Tsay for disarming a gunman who entered the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra, California, following a mass shooting in Monterey Park Saturday night.
Luna also clarified that Tsay was the only person that was involved in disarming the gunman. Initially, authorities said that two people were involved.
He added, “There was actually only one person who disarmed. But as you know we were trying to put out information that was preliminary. So there was one, that’s his name. And what a brave man he is.”
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Sheriff: Gunman was arrested in 1990 for unlawful possession of firearm
The man accused of killing 11 people at a Monterey Park dance studio had a “limited criminal history,” according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
The sheriff said Monday the gunman was arrested in 1990 for unlawful possession of a firearm.
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Sheriff: 42 rounds fired at Monterey Park dance studio mass shooting scene from a high-capacity gun
The Monterey Park mass shooting gunman fired 42 rounds of ammunition from a high-capacity handgun at the dance hall in Monterey Park where 11 people were killed, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference Monday.
Luna also noted that a 9 mm caliber semi-automatic MAC-10 assault weapon was recovered at the Alhambra dance studio, where the suspect was disarmed after he showed up after the shooting in Monterey Park.
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Monterey Park gunman was manufacturing homemade firearm suppressors, sheriff says
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said investigators found a “few items of interest” at the shooter’s mobile home — some of which led officials to believe he was “manufacturing homemade firearm suppressors.” The items were gathered from a search warrant that was executed earlier Monday.
Some of the other items recovered were a 308-caliber rifle and various electronic devices — such as cell phones and computers, Luna said at a news conference Monday.
Officials also found “hundreds of rounds” of ammunition, the sheriff said.
Ballistic and forensic comparisons will need to be done on all of the items that were recovered from the alleged shooter’s home, Luna said.
He said there is “a lot of work to be done there, but we don’t want to leave any stone unturned.”
Luna said homicide investigators are still working on what he called a “very complex investigation.” The sheriff said there is still a lot of things they don’t know.
Luna said his office is working in partnership with the FBI, ATF and the district attorney’s office, among others.
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Law enforcement officials give update on Monterey Park shooting investigation
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna is providing an update on the investigation into Saturday’s mass shooting in Monterey Park, California. Other elected officials are also expected to be there.
Luna will provide information gathered from a search warrant that was executed earlier Monday, Monterey Park police chief Scott Wiese said at a separate news conference Monday. The warrant was for the suspected shooter’s mobile home in a senior community in Hemet, California, according to the Hemet Police Department.
The 72-year-old gunman was found dead Sunday with a self-inflicted gunshot wound after officers approached his vehicle, police said.
Questions: There are still many details that are unclear about the massacre, including:
The motive: Since the gunman took his own life, this will be more difficult. But details have emerged, including from three people who knew him and told CNN he had once been a familiar face at the dance studio where the shooting happened. One person who identified himself as a former friend of the alleged shooter said he often complained that the instructors at the dance hall didn’t like him and said “evil things about him,” the friend recalled. On Sunday, Luna told reporters investigators were looking into the suspected shooter’s criminal and mental health history and serving search warrants. And police in Hemet, California, where he lived said the gunman visited the police station twice earlier this month with a series of allegations about fraud, theft, and poisoning allegations involving his family.
How was the gun obtained? The weapon recovered from the Alhambra location – where the gunman was disarmed and fled – was a magazine-fed semi-automatic assault pistol that had an extended large capacity magazine attached to it, the sheriff said Sunday. The weapon was traced to the suspect, giving authorities his name and description.
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2 more shooting victims have been identified
From CNN's Stella Chan
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office named two more victims of the mass shooting Saturday night in Monterey Park.
Xiujuan Yu, a 57-year-old woman, and Valentino Alvero, a 68-year-old man, were killed in the shooting, the office said.
Four of the 11 victims have been named so far: Mymy Nhan, a 65-year-old woman, and Lilan Li, a 63-year-old woman were identified earlier Monday.
Officials have not yet released the names of the other three women and four men killed in the attack, but they have provided general age ranges. Of those not identified yet, three were in their 60s and four were in their 70s.
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US has had more mass shootings in 2023 than at this point in any year on record
There have been 36 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023. That’s more than there have been at this point in any year on record.
The shooting in Monterey Park, California, that killed 11 people Saturday was the deadliest attack since the Uvalde massacre in May 2022.
How this stacks up globally: Regular mass shootings are a uniquely American phenomenon. The US is the only developed country where mass shootings have happened every single year for the past 20 years, according to Jason R. Silva, an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at William Paterson University.
The US has the highest firearm homicide rate in the developed world — about 4 per 100,000 people. That’s 18 times the average rate in other developed countries.
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Timeline: How the Monterey Park mass shooting and manhunt unfolded
Late night Saturday: A manhunt ensues: A description of a white van seen leaving the Alhambra dance studio — visited by the gunman after the Monterey Park shooting – is broadcast to area law enforcement agencies. This sparks a manhunt across the region.
8:35 a.m. PT Sunday: Police release a description of the suspect: The suspected gunman is still at large, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. The person who fled the scene is preliminarily described as “a male Asian,” he said, adding there were different descriptions from witnesses and victims.
10:20 a.m. PT Sunday: The white van is found: Torrance police officers find the white van matching the description near Hawthorne and Sepulveda Boulevards in Torrance, according to Luna. When officers drove behind the vehicle, it entered a shopping center parking lot. When officers exit their vehicle, they hear one gunshot. The officers retreat and call for backup. Armored vehicles arrive and block the van from moving.
11:21 a.m. PT: Authorities share photos of the suspect: The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department releases photos of the suspect in the mass shooting. Luna tweets photos of the man, saying investigators have identified him as a homicide suspect who should be considered “armed and dangerous.”
12:52 p.m. PT: The suspect is dead: A SWAT team clears the area and finds the suspect had shot himself inside the white van, according to Luna. The suspect is pronounced dead at the scene. Several pieces of evidence are found in the van linking the suspect to Monterey Park and Alhambra. A handgun was also found in the van.
5:21 p.m. PT: Police name the suspect: Luna says investigators have confirmed the man found dead in the white van after the standoff is the same person suspected of carrying out the mass shooting in Monterey Park. The suspect is identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, according to Luna.
CNN’s Dakin Andone, Elizabeth Wolfe, Holly Yan, Chris Boyette, Seán Federico-O’Murchú, Nouran Salahieh, Jeffrey Winter, Casey Tolan, Scott Glover and Michelle Watson contributed to this report.
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Monterey Park council member says shooting was "tragedy piled on tragedy" for Asian American community
What started as Monterey Park’s largest event of the year, ended in tragedy after a gunman killed 11 people at a dance studio just hours after the city’s Lunar New Year festival — something Monterey Park City Council Member Thomas Wong said is compounded by a rise of Asian hate across the country.
Lunar New Year is a large, popular holiday for many Asian cultures around the world, Wong said, including in Monterey Park where there is a large Asian American community. About 65% of residents are of Asian descent and some 100,000 people from across Southern California typically turn out for Lunar New Year celebrations.
This was the first year the city’s celebration was in person since the pandemic began in 2020.
“I was excited to get back together in person to celebrate community, to bring families together, but instead we’re dealing with this tragedy and trying to get through this together,” Wong told CNN Monday.
He described the shooting Saturday as “tragedy piled on tragedy.”
Despite hardships, Wong said he has seen communities come together to support each other with “neighbors checking in on neighbors, family checking in on family,” he said.
“The outpouring of support has been encouraging in this time of tragedy,” Wong said.
Police are still investigating the motive of the shooting. Wong said he hopes to have more answers soon to work on trying to prevent it from happening again.
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Garland: DOJ committed to doing "everything in our power" to address gun violence
From CNN's Jamie Crawford
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department is “committed to doing everything in our power to protect our communities from gun violence and the terrible devastation that it brings,” following this weekend’s shooting in Monterey Park, California.
Garland also said the FBI and ATF are providing support to state and local law enforcement there.
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Los Angeles County sheriff will hold news conference on mass shooting investigation
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna delivers remarks during a press conference in Monterey Park on Sunday, January 22.
(Dean Musgrove/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images)
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna will provide an update on the investigation into Saturday’s mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, at 3 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET), the sheriff’s office confirmed.
Luna will provide information gathered from a search warrant that was executed earlier Monday, Monterey Park police chief Scott Wiese said at a separate news conference Monday.
“Just because the suspect dies doesn’t mean the investigation stops,” Wiese added.
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California governor says he met with a shooting victim in the ICU
From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with members of the media during his visit to Monterey Park on Monday.
(David Butow/Redux for CNN)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he was able to meet with some victims and families of the Monterey Park massacre, including a man whose bones were shattered.
“I met with a victim in the ICU last night that may not make it. And, you know, shared my quiet thoughts to the victim. That’s intense. What a privilege for me to be able to see him. I met a victim and his son, his mom speaks Cantonese, and a translator,” the governor said.
Newsom continued: “And while that young man is in the bed with shattered bones, he’s saying, ‘How many days do I have to be here because I can’t afford this hospital? How many days am I going to be here because I’m scared I’m gonna lose my job in the warehouse? Can you help me?’ So I’ve met with the victims and their families. And I hope we remember those folks too. Not just the people that died.”
Newsom also commended the resiliency of the local community.
“There’s one thing yesterday and today that gives me some hope and confidence. It’s how resilient this community is. How close-knit the community is,” the governor told CNN.
Newsom said that he also spoke to a business owner who knew the suspect well and told him he “was a good customer for years” and he “never saw this happening.”
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LA county supervisor applauds "hero" who stopped gunman at second dance studio
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis speaks during a press conference on Monday.
(KABC)
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis said the Monterey Park community has always been welcoming to everyone — and will continue to be resilient as people begin to heal after 11 people were killed in a mass shooting Saturday.
A gunman had walked into Star Ballroom Dance Studio in the Los Angeles area neighborhood and opened fire shortly after a Lunar New Year celebration. The man then drove to a second dance hall in neighboring Alhambra where he entered with a firearm but fled after being disarmed, the Los Angeles County sheriff’s office said.
At the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra, Brandon Tsay said he saw the gunman enter and that he appeared to be looking for targets. Tsay told “Good Morning America” that he lunged at the gunman and struggled with him before eventually wrestling the weapon from him.
Solis, speaking at a news conference Monday, called Tsay a “hero.”
Solis called on people to remember families who lost loved ones as well as those who were injured and are still in the hospital.
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Woman killed in Monterey Park shooting was a "loving aunt, sister, daughter and friend," family says
Nhan loved to dance and spent many years at the dance studio where she was shot and killed, Saturday. Nhan was a “loving aunt, sister, daughter and friend,” according to a statement from her family.
Tiffany Liou, a reporter for CNN affiliate WFAA in Dallas, Texas, told CNN and also posted on Twitter that Nhan was her husband’s aunt.
“Mymy treated her nieces/nephews like her own kids,” Liou tweeted. “Her kindness is what’s needed in this world.”
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Officials provide update on Monterey Park shooting
California officials are giving an update on the mass shooting that left 11 people dead and nine others injured.
The gunman opened fire at Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park after a Lunar New Year celebration Saturday night before driving to another dance hall in nearby Alhambra, where he brandished a semi-automatic weapon, investigators said.
The 72-year-old was found dead in his vehicle from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday. The sheriff’s department got a search warrant for the suspect’s home in the senior community about 80 miles east of Monterey Park – The Lakes at Hemet West – a Hemet Police spokesperson confirmed.
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Here's how you can help victims of the Monterey Park mass shooting
From CNN's Julia M. Chan
People pay their respects Monday at a makeshift memorial outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park.
It happened during Lunar New Year weekend festivities in Monterey Park, a predominantly Asian American enclave east of Los Angeles at a time when the AAPI community is still reeling from a wave of anti-Asian violence.
You can help the victims, survivors, and community here.
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Monterey Park mass shooting death toll rises to 11
Ten injured people were taken to area hospitals following the shooting, and one person has died, according to LAC+USC Medical Center.
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Monterey Park will host a vigil to honor victims Tuesday
The city of Monterey Park will host a vigil Tuesday to honor those killed in a mass shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio over the weekend.
The vigil will start at 5:30 p.m. local time at Monterey Park City Hall, the statement said. That’s the same place a memorial was already established, according to the city.
Mental health resources are also available. A Survivors Resource Center has been set up at Monterey Park’s Langley Senior Center, the statement said, and are available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.
Read the tweet:
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Monterey Park suspect made a series of allegations to police in his city early in January
From CNN's Stella Chan
The man who officials say killed 10 people and wounded 10 others over the Lunar New Year weekend in Monterey Park went to a police station in Hemet, a city in Riverside County, with complaints earlier this month.
Hemet, where he lived, is about 86 miles from Monterey Park.
The Hemet Police Department said Huu Can Tran, the alleged shooter, came into the station twice in early January.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant on Tran’s Hemet home in a local senior community, according to the police department.
The local police department said this is a “highly sensitive, ongoing investigation” and defers to the sheriff’s department for further inquiries.
Some background: A longtime acquaintance of Tran remembered him as a regular patron of the Monterey Park dance studio where the shooting happened over the weekend. The friend, who also asked not to be named, was close to Tran in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when he said Tran would come to the dance studio “almost every night” from his then home in nearby San Gabriel.
At that time, Tran often complained that the instructors at the dance hall didn’t like him and said “evil things about him,” the friend recalled. He said Tran was “hostile to a lot of people there.”
More generally, Tran was easily irritated, complained a lot and didn’t seem to trust people, the friend said.
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Police are investigating possible motives behind the Monterey Park mass shooting. Here's what we know so far.
From CNN staff
The man found dead inside a white cargo van after a standoff with police in Torrance, California, was confirmed as the person suspected of carrying out a mass shooting in Monterey Park on Saturday night, according to police.
Huu Can Tran, 72, was pronounced dead at the scene following a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a news conference Sunday afternoon.
Tran is suspected of opening fire at a dance studio in Monterey Park, killing 10 people and injuring 10 more as the city’s large Asian American community was celebrating Lunar New Year weekend, Luna said.
Here’s what we know about the investigation into the deadly mass shooting:
The victims: The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office has released the names of two of the 10 victims killed in the Monterey Park, California, shooting. The victims identified are My Nhan, a 65-year-old woman, and Lilan Li, a 63-year-old woman. Officials have not yet released the names of the other three women and five men killed in the attack, but they have provided general age ranges. Nine of the 10 victims were in their 60s and 70s and one was in her 50s, according to officials.
The suspect: At around 10:20 a.m. local time Sunday, police in the city of Torrance — about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park — spotted a white cargo van matching the description of one seen leaving the scene of the Alhambra dance studio, Luna said. Officers followed the van into a shopping center parking lot and began getting out of their patrol car to approach the driver — later identified as Tran — but retreated when they heard a gunshot from inside the van, he said. Armored vehicles and SWAT teams arrived and eventually cleared the van, discovering Tran dead inside.
nvestigation: Inside the van, investigators found “several pieces of evidence” linking Tran to both the Monterey Park and Alhambra dance studios, the sheriff said, not providing further details. They also found a handgun, Luna said. Police previously said a gun was wrestled from the armed man at the Alhambra dance studio. Three people who knew Tran told CNN he had once been a regular patron of the Monterey Park dance hall, where he gave informal dance lessons and met his ex-wife.
The weapon: Luna described the firearm taken from the man in Alhambra as a “magazine-fed semi-automatic assault pistol” with an extended, large-capacity magazine. A law enforcement official told CNN it was a Cobray M11 9mm semi-automatic weapon.
Motive: Investigators have yet to determine a motive, Luna said, but will be considering any available criminal or mental health history and issue a search warrant to find more details. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has obtained a search warrant for Tran’s home in Hemet, California, about 80 miles east of Monterey Park, a Hemet Police spokesperson confirmed.
2 Monterey Park shooting victims have been identified
From CNN's Stella Chan
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office has released the names of two of the 10 victims killed in the Monterey Park, California, shooting.
The victims identified are My Nhan, a 65-year-old woman, and Lilan Li, a 63-year-old woman.
Officials have not yet released the names of the other three women and five men killed in the attack, but they have provided general age ranges. Nine of the 10 victims were in their 60s and 70s and one was in her 50s, according to officials.
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"I really thought I would have to shoot him," says the man who stopped Monterey Park mass shooter
From CNN's Michelle Watson
Brandon Tsay speaks about stopping the Monterey Park mass shooter at the Lai Lai ballroom in Alhambra, California.
(ABC)
Brandon Tsay is being hailed as a hero for stopping the Monterey Park mass shooter at the Lai Lai Ballroom in Alhambra, California. He told ABC that the incident has left him “shook.”
“It was Chinese New Year’s. We were hosting a social dance party. I was in the lobby. It was late into the evening, most of our customers already left. I wasn’t paying attention to the front door — I was looking into the dance ballroom, the dance floor, and this is when I heard the sound of the front door quickly closing and instantly followed by the sound of metal object clinking together as if they were rubbing,” Tsay said. “That’s when I turned around and saw that there was an Asian man holding a gun.”
The man was identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, who later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, CNN had previously reported. Tsay said he didn’t recognize the shooter.
“He didn’t seem like he was here for any money, he wasn’t here to rob us,” Tsay said. “When he was looking around the room it seemed like he was looking for targets – people to harm.”
Tsay said he needed to disarm the shooter or else “everybody would have died.”
“Something came over me – I realized, I needed to get the weapon away from him,” he added.
“When I got the courage, I lunged at him with both my hands, grabbed the weapon and we had a struggle. We struggled into the lobby, trying to get this gun away from each other,” Tsay said. “He was hitting me across the face. Bashing the back of my head. I was trying to use my elbows to separate the gun away from him, create some distance.”
Once he was able to seize the gun from the shooter, he told the man to leave. “At this point I thought he would run away, but he was just standing there, contemplating whether to fight or to run away. I really thought I would have to shoot him.”
But the shooter walked out the door and returned to his van, Tsay said, adding that he then called the police.
The incident left him with bruising on his body, across his nose and the back of his head, Tsay added. “After the incident, I was shook. I was shaken all night. I couldn’t believe what happened.”
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Monterey Park shooting is "a tragedy of incomprehensible proportions," California representative says
From CNN's Andrew Millman
Rep. Mark Takano speaks at a conference in Washington, DC, in 2020.
(Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Rep. Mark Takano says the shooting that took place in Monterey Park on Saturday is “a tragedy of incomprehensible proportions.”
Takano — who represents Riverside County, which is near where the mass shooting took place — said the area has “vibrant communities, Asian American communities.”
The shooting took place as the community celebrated Lunar New Year, which Takano said is a very important time for Asian Americans.
It is “just a very joyous time of year for families to get together and to have a tragedy like this happen on the eve of the Lunar New Year is just incredibly sad and tragic,” said the representative, who is also the vice chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
“I just want to emphasize to the community that thanks to the good work of L.A. County Sheriff [Robert] Luna and his deputes, the suspect was identified very quickly. We know the suspect took his own life, so the community can feel safe from that threat,” Takano noted.
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Coroner's office still working to identify victims of Monterey Park mass shooting
From CNN's Chris Boyette
The Star Dance Studio where 10 people were killed is seen in Monterey Park, California, on January 22.
(Philip Cheung for The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Authorities are working to identify the victims of the shooting in Monterey Park, California, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Officials have not yet named the 10 people that were killed. Luna said the victims are generally older than 50. Seven of the 10 injured victims were still hospitalized Sunday, he said.
Luna said that because the victims haven’t all been identified, he couldn’t say their exact ages, but gave a range.
“I don’t have the specific ages because they have not been identified. But they’re not in their 20s or 30s. They seem to be probably, I would say, in their 50s, 60s, and maybe some even beyond that,” Luna said.
The mass shooting is one of the deadliest in California’s history and at least the 33rd in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.
The violence came as a shock to many who felt Monterey Park – where some 65% of residents are of Asian descent – was a safe enclave for the robust Asian community. Amid Saturday night’s carnage and fear, the city canceled the second day of its Lunar New Year festival, typically one of its most joyous holidays.
CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe contributed reporting to this post.
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New York Times: Man describes disarming suspected Monterey Park gunman at second dance hall location
From CNN's Kelly McCleary
Brandon Tsay speaks about his encounter with the suspect at the Alhambra dance hall.
(ABC)
A man who encountered the suspect at the Alhambra dance hall just minutes from the scene of the massacre said he knew immediately the armed man was dangerous.
“He was looking at me and looking around, not hiding that he was trying to do harm. His eyes were menacing,” Brandon Tsay told the New York Times.
He was first alerted to the man’s presence when he heard the front doors at Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio close as he was working in the ticket office of the business his family has run for three generations, Tsay said.
The man pointed a semi-automatic weapon at Tsay, he told the Times, saying it was the first gun he’d seen in real life. “My heart sank, I knew I was going to die,” he said.
“From his body language, his facial expression, his eyes, he was looking for people,” Tsay said.
He struggled with the man for about a minute and a half and eventually wrestled the gun from him, Tsay told the Times. He was able to grab the weapon when the man took his hand off it, as if to manipulate it to begin shooting, Tsay said.
Once Tsay was in control of the gun, he pointed it back at the suspect and yelled for him to “get the hell out of here,” he said.
Tsay told the Times he’s still processing what happened but is heartbroken for the Monterey Park community. “We have such a tight-knit community of dancers,” he said. “It feels so terrible something like this happened, to have one of our individuals try to harm others,” he told the Times.
What authorities said about the second location: After releasing a barrage of gunfire on the people inside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, police said the gunman drove to the second dance hall in neighboring Alhambra where he entered with a firearm but fled after being disarmed.
The suspect was later found dead Sunday inside a white cargo van after a standoff with police in Torrance, California, according to police.
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The Monterey Park gunman's motive is still being investigated. Here's what we know — and don't know — so far
From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe, Seán Federico-O'Murchú and Chris Boyette
FBI investigators stand near the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California on January 22.
(Philip Cheung/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Investigators in Monterey Park, California, are still searching for the motive of a gunman who killed 10 people and injured 10 others during a shooting inside a ballroom dance studio Saturday night, devastating the majority-Asian community on the eve of its Lunar New Year celebration.
The suspect, identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, was located in the nearby city of Torrance, where he died after shooting himself as police approached his vehicle, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Sunday.
Hours earlier, a gunman had walked into Star Ballroom Dance Studio shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday night, not long after the city’s streets had been crowded by thousands of festival-goers, the sheriff said.
After releasing a barrage of gunfire on the people inside, the gunman drove to a second dance hall in neighboring Alhambra where he entered with a firearm but fled after being disarmed by two patrons, Luna said.
If you are just catching up, here’s what we know — and don’t know — so far:
The victims: Authorities have not named any of those killed or injured. The coroner’s office is still working to identify the deceased so police can notify their families, Luna said, adding that the victims are generally older than 50. Seven of the injured victims were still hospitalized Sunday, he said.
Suspect found in nearby city: At around 10:20 a.m. Sunday, police in the city of Torrance — about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park — spotted a white cargo van matching the description of one seen leaving the scene of the Alhambra dance studio, Luna said. Officers followed the van into a shopping center parking lot and began getting out of their patrol car to approach the driver — later identified as Tran — but retreated when they heard a gunshot from inside the van, he said. Armored vehicles and SWAT teams arrived and eventually cleared the van, discovering Tran dead inside.
Evidence links suspect to shooting: Inside the van, investigators found “several pieces of evidence” linking Tran to both the Monterey Park and Alhambra dance studios, the sheriff said, not providing further details. They also found a handgun, Luna said. Police previously said a gun was wrestled from the armed man at the Alhambra dance studio. Three people who knew Tran told CNN he had once been a regular patron of the Monterey Park dance hall, where he gave informal dance lessons and met his ex-wife.
Suspect was carrying semi-automatic weapon: Luna described the firearm taken from the man in Alhambra as a “magazine-fed semi-automatic assault pistol” with an extended, large-capacity magazine. A law enforcement official told CNN it was a Cobray M11 9mm semi-automatic weapon.
Motive still unknown: Investigators have yet to determine a motive, Luna said, but will be considering any available criminal or mental health history and issue a search warrant to find more details. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has obtained a search warrant for Tran’s home in Hemet, California, about 80 miles east of Monterey Park, a Hemet Police spokesperson confirmed.
Police will search the suspected gunman's home for evidence
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna speaks during a news conference in Monterey Park, California on January 22.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has obtained a search warrant for the home of a man suspected of carrying out a deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park, California on Saturday night.
The suspect, identified by police as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday afternoon inside a cargo van after a standoff with police in Torrance, California.
Tran’s residence is in a senior community called The Lakes at Hemet West, California, according to Hemet Police public information officer Alan Reyes.
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What we know about the suspect in the Monterey Park massacre
From CNN's Nouran Salahieh, Jeffrey Winter, Casey Tolan and Scott Glover
Huu Can Tran, 72, is believed to be the suspect behind the Monterey Park shooting.
(LASD)
The 72-year-old man suspected of killing 10 people and wounding 10 others in a shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, Saturday had previously frequented the establishment, sources told CNN.
The suspect, identified as Huu Can Tran, was pronounced dead following a self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday as police swarmed a white van in Torrance, about 30 miles from Monterey Park, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
The shooting at Star Ballroom Dance Studio happened around 10:22 p.m. as the city’s large Asian American community was celebrating Lunar New Year weekend. About 17 to 20 minutes later, an armed man showed up at a second dance studio in nearby Alhambra where authorities say a group of people wrestled a gun away from him.
The mass shooting kicked off a manhunt across the region, with a description of a white van seen leaving the Alhambra incident broadcast to area law enforcement agencies. On Sunday morning, officers in Torrance spotted a white van that matched the description.
“When officers exited their patrol vehicle to contact the occupant, they heard one gunshot coming from within the van,” Luna said. “Officers retreated and requested several tactical teams to respond.” Then – as three armored vehicles blocked the van – the SWAT team approached and found Tran dead inside, Luna said.
Tran had once been a regular patron at Star Ballroom Dance Studio, his ex-wife and a long-time acquaintance both told CNN.
Tran’s former wife, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the case, said she met Tran about two decades ago at Star Ballroom, a popular community gathering place where he gave informal lessons. Tran saw her at a dance, introduced himself and offered her free lessons, she said. The two married soon after, she said.
From CNN's Kara Fox, Krystina Shveda, Natalie Croker and Marco Chacon
Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct.
But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.
America’s relationship to gun ownership is unique, and its gun culture is a global outlier.
Here’s a look at how gun culture in the US compares to the rest of the world:
The United States is the only country where civilian guns outnumber people, with 120 guns for every 100 Americans.
The US has the highest firearm homicide rate in the developed world — about 4 per 100,000 people. That’s 18 times the average rate in other developed countries.
The US was home to 4% of the world’s population but accounted for 44% of global suicides by firearm in 2019.
No other developed nation has mass shootings at the same scale or frequency as the US.
There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023
It is only the 23rd day of the year, and there have already been at least 36 mass shootings in the United States so far, according to the nonprofit organization Gun Violence Archive.
This means there have been more mass shootings this year than there have been days in 2023.
CNN and the GVA define a mass shooting as a shooting that injured or killed four or more people, not including the shooter.
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A suspected gunman is dead after killing 10 people at a dance studio in Monterey Park. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
Monterey Park Police officers at the scene of a mass shooting on Sunday, January 22.
A 72-year-old man found dead after a standoff with police has been confirmed as the person suspected of carrying out a deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park, California on Saturday night, according to police.
He is suspected of opening fire at a dance studio, killing 10 people and injuring 10 more as the city’s large Asian American community was celebrating Lunar New Year weekend.
Here’s what we know:
The attack: The shooting happened at 10:22 p.m. local time (1:22 a.m. ET) at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio near a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park. Five men and five women were killed, and at least 10 others were injured. Seven of the wounded remain hospitalized.
The suspect: Huu Can Tran, 72, was identified as the suspect by Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. Tran was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday afternoon inside a cargo van after a standoff with police in Torrance, California. He had once been a regular presence at the dance studio, even meeting his ex-wife there, three people who knew him told CNN. It is unclear how frequently Tran visited the dance hall, if at all, in recent years.
Second incident: Tran is also believed to be the gunman disarmed by a group of people at a dance studio in Alhambra, California, shortly after the mass shooting in nearby Monterey Park. Evidence found in the cargo van linked Tran to both the Alhambra and Monterey Park scenes, according to Luna, who said there are “no outstanding suspects.”
The investigation: Police and investigators are now working to determine the motive behind the mass shooting, according to Luna, who promised detectives would look at “every possibility.”
National mourning: President Joe Biden offered his condolences to the victims following the mass shooting and ordered flags to fly at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings.
Gun violence: As of Monday morning, there have now been at least 36 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the nonprofit organization Gun Violence Archive. CNN and the GVA define a mass shooting as a shooting that injured or killed four or more people, not including the shooter.
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Gunman had been a regular patron at dance hall he attacked, according to people who knew him
From CNN’s Jeff Winter, Casey Tolan and Scott Glover
An aerial view of the Star Ballroom Dance Studio on January 22 in Monterey Park, California.
(Kirby Lee/AP)
The man who fatally shot 10 people in a Southern California dance studio had once been a regular presence at the venue, even meeting his ex-wife there, three people who knew him told CNN.
Police say Huu Can Tran, 72, opened fire at Star Ballroom Dance Studio in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park, on Saturday night, before fatally shooting himself after a manhunt across the region on Sunday.
His ex-wife said in an interview that she had met Tran about two decades ago at the dance studio, a popular community gathering place where he gave informal lessons. Tran saw her at a dance, introduced himself, and offered her free lessons, she said.
The two married soon after they met, according to the ex-wife, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the case. While Tran was never violent to her, she said he could be quick to anger. For example, she said, if she missed a step dancing he would become upset because he felt it made him look bad. She said that after several years together, she got the impression that he had lost interest in her. Her sister, who also asked not to be named, confirmed her account.
It was unclear how frequently Tran visited the dance hall, if at all, in recent years.
Tran filed for divorce in late 2005, and a judge approved the divorce the following year, Los Angeles court records show.
Tran was an immigrant from China, according to a copy of his marriage license that his ex-wife showed to CNN.
A 5-minute drive from his home: Another long-time acquaintance of Tran’s also remembered him as a frequent presence at the dance studio. The friend, who also asked not to be named, was close to Tran in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when he said Tran would make the roughly 5-minute drive from his home in San Gabriel to Star Ballroom Dance Studio “almost every night.”
More generally, Tran was easily irritated, complained a lot, and didn’t seem to trust people, the friend said.
Tran at times worked as a truck driver, according to his ex-wife.
Business records show that Tran registered a business called Tran’s Trucking Inc. in California in 2002. But he dissolved the firm about two years later, writing in a corporate filing that the it had never acquired any known assets or incurred any known debts or liabilities.
Bought a mobile home in Hemet: In 2013, Tran sold his San Gabriel home, which he had owned for more than two decades, property records show.
Seven years later, records show, Tran bought a mobile home in a senior citizens community in Hemet, California, an outlying suburb about 85 miles east of Los Angeles.
Tran’s friend said he hadn’t seen Tran in several years and was “totally shocked” when he heard about the shooting.
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"They saved lives": Police chief praises heroes who disarmed suspect at a second location
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna takes questions from the media outside the Civic Center in Monterey Park, California, January 22.
(Kirby Lee/AP)
The suspect in the Monterey Park mass shooting was disarmed by two people when he went to a second location on Saturday night, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Luna had earlier disclosed that a male Asian suspect had walked into a dance hall in Alhambra and that “some individuals wrestled the firearm away from him.”
“Remember, the suspect went to the Alhambra location after he conducted the shooting (in Monterey Park), and he was disarmed by two community members who I consider to be heroes,” Luna said at a news conference Sunday.
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Monterey Park's US representative: "We are resilient, and we are stronger together"
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Rep. Judy Chu, who represents Monterey Park, praised local law enforcement and thanked those who reached out to her to offer support, including the White House and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Chu spoke at a news conference on Sunday evening after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed a man found dead after a police standoff in Torrance was the same person suspected of carrying out a mass shooting in Monterey Park late Saturday. Chu thanked local law enforcement officials for their efforts in tracking the suspect.
Chu said she received calls from Mayorkas and from the White House, although she did not specify whether she spoke with President Joe Biden. Chu also said she spoke with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
“I got calls today from the White House, from the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and from our mayor, Karen Bass,” Chu said. “All expressed concerns and offered their resources to us to make sure that we could end this terrible situation.”
Chu said the residents of Monterey Park, where she has lived for 37 years, are resilient and implored the community to “feel safe.”
“What I saw today, and what I see at this moment is indeed we are resilient, and we are stronger together,” Chu said.
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7 victims of Monterey Park mass shooting remain hospitalized
From CNN’s Chris Boyette
Seven people remain hospitalized after a gunman opened fire at a Monterey Park, California, dance studio, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters Sunday night.
Ten people were killed in the shooting, which happened near a Lunar New Year festival celebration.
Authorities have not released the names of any of those killed or injured in the mass shooting.
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Biden offers condolences to victims of "senseless attack"
From CNN's Jack Forrest and Aaron Pellish
Joe Biden speaks during an event in Washington, DC, on Friday, January 20.
(Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden offered his condolences to the victims of a mass shooting in California that left 10 dead, while acknowledging the impact on the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in a statement on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, Biden ordered flags flown at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings until sunset on Thursday to honor the victims.
