Police officers work on the scene of a mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, the United States, Jan. 22, 2023. (Xinhua)
Five women and five men were killed, and another 10 people injured in the shooting, local police confirmed. The suspect was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff with police in Torrance, California, on Sunday.
by Xinhua Writers Tan Jingjing, Julia Pierrepont III
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Communities in Southern California were shocked and saddened by the mass shooting that killed 10 and wounded 10 in Monterey Park, a city on the eastern edge of Los Angeles, on Saturday night.
A gunman opened fire in Star Ballroom Dance Studio at 10:22 p.m. local time (0622 GMT on Sunday), a popular ballroom dance facility operated for about 30 years, when it was hosting an event to celebrate the countdown to the Chinese Lunar New Year.
Five women and five men were killed, and another 10 people injured in the shooting, local police confirmed.
The wounded were rushed to local hospitals. Seven people remained hospitalized by Sunday night, with at least one person in critical condition, local media reported.
Authorities have not released the names of any of those killed or injured in the mass shooting.
A police officer stands guard on the scene of a mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, the United States, Jan. 22, 2023. (Xinhua)
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has confirmed that the suspect was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff with police in Torrance, California, on Sunday.
Luna identified the suspect as Huu Can Tran, 72.
Local communities have spoken out in support of those affected by the tragedy, and deplored the mass shooting.
"I'm shocked when something like this happens in our local communities, especially a place that we visit often. My heart goes out to the victims, their families and everyone impacted by this egregious act of violence," Evelyn Xu, film producer living in San Marino, mother of two girls, told Xinhua.
Michael Tiberi, a laser physicist who grew up in Monterey Park, was outraged by the deadly attack.
"When I grew up there, this kind of violence was unheard of back then. The neighborhood has evolved a lot over the years, with new Chinese Americans and immigrants joining the community and sharing their beautiful and unique culture and making it a more exciting, diverse and, ironically, safer community we've all been able to enjoy," he told Xinhua.
This act is reprehensible, he said.
Police officers stand guard on the scene of a mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, the United States, Jan. 22, 2023. (Xinhua)
Monterey Park is a predominantly Asian community, with 65.6 percent of its 61,096 residents being Asians, according to data released in 2020 on the city's website.
Gun violence in the United States has gone far beyond the threshold of absurdity, Maria Collis, film producer, screenwriter and member of the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, told Xinhua in an interview.
"Our hearts are not only broken for our friends in Monterey Park and the larger Asian community, but for all of us, who share one humanity. We must keep marching for our lives until everyone, regardless of belief, culture or background, can gather together without fear," Collis told Xinhua.
"Our hearts, minds, and thoughts are with the entire Monterey Park community as it struggles with the terrible tragedy that occurred Saturday evening. This hits particularly close to home not only in proximity, but in our beloved Asian community as Lunar New Year celebrations take place," read a letter from Arcadia Unified School District to its students and families. ■
