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    HomeNewsSheriff Said the Suspect in the California Mass Shooting Was Killed

    Sheriff Said the Suspect in the California Mass Shooting Was Killed

    Authorities say the gunman is suspected of killing 10 people and wounding 10 others in a shooting Saturday night in Monterey Park, a city east of Los Angeles.

    The shooting was reported around 10:22 p.m. local time inside a Chinese-owned dance hall near the Lunar New Year celebration.

    By late Sunday morning, police cars had gathered around a white van in Torrance, California, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park. During the afternoon, law enforcement officers broke into the truck and removed its contents.




    Monterey Park

    Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna later confirmed this at a news conference Sunday night. That the suspect was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot inside the truck.

    Law enforcement vehicles surrounded the truck for more than two hours before breaking into it.

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    Luna named the suspect Hou Kan Tran, a 72-year-old Asian man. Luna said investigators do not know the motive.

    None of the victims have been identified, and officials are working to notify family members. Luna said five of the dead were women and five men were older, “probably in their fifties, sixties, and beyond.” At least 10 others with injuries were taken to area hospitals in stable to critical conditions.

    Local police arrived at StarDance Studios in Monterey Park to find “individuals streaming from the site.” Los Angeles County Sheriff Andrew Meyer said at a news conference early Sunday morning.

    Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese said officers responded within three minutes of the first 911 call. The suspect still managed to escape.

    About 20 to 30 minutes later, Luna said, the same gunman entered a second ballroom, located in the nearby Alhambra, “to kill more people.” There, in the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio, he was disarmed with a “magazine-style assault rifle” by two people.

    When asked if this type of gun is legal in California, the mayor said he doesn’t think it is.

    After fleeing the scene in a white pickup truck, the suspect’s car was seen hours later by Torrance police officers. Sheriff Luna said the truck driver pulled into the parking lot and officers got out of their vehicle and approached the truck. They heard a single shot from inside the car.

    The officers withdrew and requested expeditionary forces and tactical reinforcements. Two and a half hours later, the authorities raided the truck and found the suspect dead.

    Luna said there were several clues in the truck linking the suspect to the crime scene in Monterrey Park and Alhambra. The sheriff said he assumed the truck’s license plates were stolen. A small-caliber pistol was also found in the truck.




    He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds

    Earlier in the day, the sheriff’s office released photos of the suspect, which showed a man wearing a black leather jacket, glasses, and a beanie. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds.

    Capt. Meyer said it was unclear if the shooting was a targeted hate crime. The FBI and state authorities are also involved in the investigation. More than 59,000 people live in Monterey Park, 65 percent of whom are Asians, according to the Census Bureau.

    The deadly attack occurred at the end of the first day of the two-day street festival to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The event, which kicked off on Chinese New Year’s Eve, is one of the largest free street fairs in Southern California. It usually draws crowds of more than 100,000 visitors and more than 100 food vendors, displays, and merchants.

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    Monterey Park Police said the second day of the festival was canceled because of the shooting. However, Sheriff Luna said it was safe for people to attend New Year’s celebrations in the area. After the shooting, which Luna said was “unrelated to the Chinese New Year event earlier that day.”

    However, several major cities, including New York, Houston, and San Francisco, said security would be beefed up during Lunar New Year celebrations as a precaution.

    President Biden has been briefed on the shooting. “Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in last night’s deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park,” he said.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom called the incident a “horrific and violent act of gun violence” and was monitoring the situation closely.

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