Ten Killed, 10 Wounded in Monterey Park Shooting; Suspect Dead

MONTEREY PARK (CNS) – A possible suspect in a mass shooting in which 10 people were killed and another 10 wounded at a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park was found dead inside a white van at a strip mall in Torrance today after a standoff with law enforcement. That suspect was identified at a news conference this evening as 72- year-old Huu Can Tran. The mass shooting attack occurred at 10:22 p.m. Saturday at the Star Dance Studio in the 100 block of West Garvey Avenue, Homicide Bureau Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told reporters at the scene during an early morning news conference. Ten people were pronounced dead at the scene and the 10 injured were listed in stable to critical condition at area hospitals including Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center, Meyer said. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the 10 dead were five men and five women. About 17 minutes after the Monterey Park shooting, a man walked into the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in the 100 block of South Garfield Avenue in neighboring Alhambra with a gun, but some people wrestled the weapon away from him and he fled, Luna said. Luna added that authorities were searching for a white cargo van the suspect might have used to escape. Torrance police later cornered a white van at a parking lot on the south side of Sepulveda Boulevard, just west of Hawthorne Boulevard, at a strip mall not far from Del Amo Fashion Center. Police maneuvered two SWAT vehicles on either end of the van, butting up against it, while a large number of police vehicles stood by for support. All lanes at the intersection of Hawthorne and Sepulveda were closed for the police investigation. A law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times that shots were fired, but it was not clear if anyone was hit. A bomb squad truck was sent to the strip mall, which contains a Tokyo Central outlet and a Daiso store. A sheriff’s department helicopter also landed on Hawthorne Boulevard and was standing by. Authorities entered the van shortly before 1 p.m. and found a man in the driver’s seat dead from one or more gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear if the wounds were self-inflicted or if the man was shot by police or sheriff’s personnel. Luna said at a news briefing later Sunday that authorities did not know for sure whether the person in the van was connected to the two earlier crimes. He said authorities had the suspect’s name, but were not releasing it yet because they believe it could hamper efforts to take him into custody. The motive for Saturday’s attack has not been released, but the shooting took place near a large celebration for the Chinese New Year. The city of Monterey Park canceled Sunday’s planned second day of the two-day celebration, but other holiday events were still planned throughout Southern California. Luna said at a Sunday morning news conference that he would be attending a similar event in a few hours, and encouraged the public to continue celebrating the holiday. Jorge Orozco, CEO of LAC+USC Medical Center, released the following statement late Sunday morning: "At this time, we can confirm that our LAC+USC Medical Center has received four of the victims of the Monterey Park Mass Shooting … Due to Federal HIPAA patient privacy laws, we are unable to share details on our patients’ status. However, we want to assure the families of those at our LAC+USC Medical Center that our medical teams are doing everything possible to care for their loved ones. "The President has been briefed by the Homeland Security Advisor on the mass shooting in Monterey Park," Jean-Pierre tweeted. "He directed her to make sure that the FBI is providing full support to local authorities, and to update him regularly today as more details are known. Biden later tweeted the following statement: "Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in last night’s deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park. I’m monitoring this situation closely as it develops, and urge the community to follow guidance from local officials and law enforcement in the hours ahead." Gov. Gavin Newsom also shared his thoughts on Twitter. "Monterey Park should have had a night of joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year," Newsom tweeted. "Instead, they were the victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence. Our hearts mourn as we learn more about the devastating acts of last night. We are monitoring the situation closely."