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Coordinates: 34°03′43″N 118°07′25″W / 34.06194°N 118.12361°W / 34.06194; -118.12361
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→‎Perpetrator: Removed " and the oldest killer without relation to domestic or gang-related disputes" on the basis that there is presently ZERO understanding of why he did this.
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Tran was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm in 1990, but otherwise, he did not have a substantial criminal history.<ref name=Taxin/> After the shooting, authorities searched Tran's home pursuant to a [[search warrant]].<ref name=LevensonFind/><Ref name=InsideMassacre/> Law enforcement found a [[.308 Winchester|.308-caliber]] rifle,<ref name=LevensonFind/><Ref name=InsideMassacre/> hundreds of rounds of ammunition,<ref name=LevensonFind/><ref name=Taxin/> and items suggesting that Tran was manufacturing [[Silencer (firearms)|suppressor]]s (firearm silencers).<ref name=LevensonFind/><ref name=Taxin/><Ref name=InsideMassacre/>
Tran was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm in 1990, but otherwise, he did not have a substantial criminal history.<ref name=Taxin/> After the shooting, authorities searched Tran's home pursuant to a [[search warrant]].<ref name=LevensonFind/><Ref name=InsideMassacre/> Law enforcement found a [[.308 Winchester|.308-caliber]] rifle,<ref name=LevensonFind/><Ref name=InsideMassacre/> hundreds of rounds of ammunition,<ref name=LevensonFind/><ref name=Taxin/> and items suggesting that Tran was manufacturing [[Silencer (firearms)|suppressor]]s (firearm silencers).<ref name=LevensonFind/><ref name=Taxin/><Ref name=InsideMassacre/>


At 72 years of age, Tran became the second-oldest mass killer in U.S. history behind 73-year-old Carey Hal Dyess on June 2, 2011, when Dyess shot and killed five people including his wife before killing himself near [[Yuma, Arizona]]. Otherwise, Tran became the oldest mass killer to fatally kill people in a public area and the oldest killer without relation to domestic or gang-related disputes.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 24, 2023|title=Monterey Park suspect is the oldest mass shooter in recent history|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-23/monterey-park-suspect-is-oldest-known-mass-shooter-in-u-s|access-date=2023-01-24|website=www.latimes.com|language=en-US|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124074536/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-23/monterey-park-suspect-is-oldest-known-mass-shooter-in-u-s|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=January 24, 2023|title=California mass shooting suspect is oldest in US recorded history, researchers say|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/01/23/california-mass-shooting-suspect-oldest-history/11107843002/|access-date=2023-01-24|website=www.usatoday.com|language=en-US|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124072247/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/01/23/california-mass-shooting-suspect-oldest-history/11107843002/|url-status=live}}</ref>
At 72 years of age, Tran became the second-oldest mass killer in U.S. history behind 73-year-old Carey Hal Dyess on June 2, 2011, when Dyess shot and killed five people including his wife before killing himself near [[Yuma, Arizona]]. Otherwise, Tran became the oldest mass killer to fatally kill people in a public area.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 24, 2023|title=Monterey Park suspect is the oldest mass shooter in recent history|url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-23/monterey-park-suspect-is-oldest-known-mass-shooter-in-u-s|access-date=2023-01-24|website=www.latimes.com|language=en-US|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124074536/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-23/monterey-park-suspect-is-oldest-known-mass-shooter-in-u-s|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=January 24, 2023|title=California mass shooting suspect is oldest in US recorded history, researchers say|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/01/23/california-mass-shooting-suspect-oldest-history/11107843002/|access-date=2023-01-24|website=www.usatoday.com|language=en-US|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124072247/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/01/23/california-mass-shooting-suspect-oldest-history/11107843002/|url-status=live}}</ref>


==Reactions==
==Reactions==

Revision as of 15:58, 24 January 2023

2023 Monterey Park shooting
Part of mass shootings in the United States
File:Monterey Park 2023 shooting.png
Police on the scene of the shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio
Monterey Park, California
Map
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150m
160yds
Star Ballroom Dance Studio
Star Ballroom Dance Studio
Star Ballroom Dance Studio
Monterey Park area
LocationMonterey Park, California, U.S.
Coordinates34°03′43″N 118°07′25″W / 34.06194°N 118.12361°W / 34.06194; -118.12361
DateJanuary 21, 2023 (2023-01-21)
c. 10:22 p.m.[1] (PST, UTC-8)
Attack type
Mass shooting, mass murder, murder–suicide[2]
WeaponsCobray M11/9 semi-automatic pistol
Deaths12 (including the perpetrator)
Injured9
PerpetratorHuu Can Tran
MotiveUnknown

On January 21, 2023, a mass shooting occurred in Monterey Park, California, United States. The gunman killed eleven people and injured nine others.[3] The shooting happened after a Lunar New Year celebration was held at Star Ballroom Dance Studio, at about 10:22 p.m. PST (UTC-8).[1][4] The perpetrator was identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a standoff with Torrance police the next day.[5][6][7] It is the deadliest mass shooting in the history of Los Angeles County.[8]

Background

Monterey Park is in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County and lies about 7 miles (11 km) east of downtown Los Angeles. About 65% of the residents are of Asian descent; in the 1990 census it became the first city in the mainland United States with a majority of residents of Asian descent.[3][9] Tens of thousands of people had gathered nearby on January 21, Lunar New Year's Eve for the start of the two-day festival,[3][10] one of the largest Lunar New Year's celebrations in Southern California.[5] The festival was scheduled to end at 9:00 p.m. that day.[11]

The Star Ballroom Dance Studio is a Chinese-owned studio in the 100 block of West Garvey Avenue, near the intersection of Garfield Avenue.[1][12] It was holding a Lunar New Year countdown dance party from 8:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., which was not part of the festival.[11][13]

Events

Monterey Park shooting

Gunfire was reported at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio at 10:22 p.m. on January 21, 2023.[1][5][12] The gunman fled the scene. Monterey Park police responded within three minutes of the first 9-1-1 call,[14] finding "individuals pouring out of the location" when they arrived. Ten people were taken to local hospitals.[12][15] The gunman used a Cobray M11/9,[16] a semi-automatic pistol variant of the MAC-10 machine pistol with an extended large-capacity magazine.[17] Robert Luna, the county sheriff, described the gunman as a male Asian wearing a black leather jacket, a black-and-white beanie, and glasses.[18]

Tran fired 42 rounds at the attack in the dance hall.[8] An unnamed witness to the shooting told the media that the gunman "found his wife there" in the dance studio and then began "shooting everybody" in the ballroom, shooting some victims again while walking around.[19][20]

Alhambra incident

A second incident occurred 3 miles (4.8 km) away in Alhambra, approximately 17 minutes after the Monterey Park shooting. A gunman entered the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio on South Garfield Avenue. Brandon Tsay, a 26-year-old computer coder whose family owned the Lai Lai ballroom and lived in San Marino, encountered the gunman alone in the lobby, grabbed the gun from the man, and fended him off before calling police.[21][22] Tsay's actions were lauded as heroic.[21][22]

Afterwards, the gunman fled in a white late-1990s Chevrolet Express 3500 cargo van.[23][24][25][26] He was later identified as the Monterey Park gunman.[26] The suspect was identified by the weapon at the Alhambra attempted shooting scene, which gave authorities his name and description.[27]

Gunman's suicide

During the early afternoon of the next day, nearly 22 miles (35 km) away from the second attempted shooting site in Alhambra,[5] police pulled over a van matching the description as the one seen leaving the Alhambra scene at a parking lot in Torrance, near the intersections of Sepulveda and Hawthorne boulevards.[3] The van's license plates appeared to be stolen. As officers approached the van, they heard a single gunshot coming from inside, retreated, and requested tactical units to respond.[28] During the standoff SWAT officers, both visually from their armored vehicles and via a drone mounted camera, observed the man in the driver's seat slumped over the steering wheel of the van. He died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head[2] from a Norinco 7.62×25 mm handgun.[17]

He was identified as the gunman responsible for both the Monterey Park shooting and the Alhambra incident.[3][29]

Victims

Ten people–five men and five women–were killed at the scene. An eleventh person died at the hospital the day after the attack.[30] Another nine people were injured in the shooting; seven of them remaining hospitalized as of January 22, some in critical condition.[28]

It was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of Los Angeles County, exceeding the death toll of a massacre in Covina in 2008.[31][32]

Perpetrator

The gunman was identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran (Chinese: 陳友艮).[33][20][34] A copy of his marriage license indicated he was from China,[35] although an immigration document indicated that he was born in Vietnam.[36]

Tran became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1990 or 1991.[36] Around the same time, he settled in San Gabriel and lived there for 22–23 years. In 2013 Tran sold his San Gabriel home, which was a five-minute drive away from the ballroom.[20] At the time of the shooting, he lived in a double-wide trailer[14] in a senior community at a mobile home park in Hemet,[3][37] a suburb which is about 85 miles (137 km) east of Los Angeles. He bought the home in 2020.[20]

In the late 1990s, Tran met his wife-to-be at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where he gave informal lessons and was a regular patron, and they were married in 2001. Four years later, Tran filed for a divorce, which was approved in 2006.[20] His ex-wife stated that he was never violent while around her but was "quick to anger."[38]

Tran was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm in 1990, but otherwise, he did not have a substantial criminal history.[8] After the shooting, authorities searched Tran's home pursuant to a search warrant.[34][14] Law enforcement found a .308-caliber rifle,[34][14] hundreds of rounds of ammunition,[34][8] and items suggesting that Tran was manufacturing suppressors (firearm silencers).[34][8][14]

At 72 years of age, Tran became the second-oldest mass killer in U.S. history behind 73-year-old Carey Hal Dyess on June 2, 2011, when Dyess shot and killed five people including his wife before killing himself near Yuma, Arizona. Otherwise, Tran became the oldest mass killer to fatally kill people in a public area.[39][40]

Reactions

During the manhunt for the gunman, President Joe Biden instructed the Federal Bureau of Investigation to provide full support to the local authorities.[3] He later offered condolences and ordered flags at the White House to be flown at half-staff.[41] Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the shooting "absolutely devastating", and Governor Gavin Newsom said that he was "monitoring the situation closely".[42]

The second day of Monterey Park's Lunar New Year festival was canceled.[4] Security preparations were stepped up ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations in New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles.[43]

UCLA sociology and Asian American studies professor Min Zhou stated the shooting is part of a broader pattern of gun culture in the United States and "violence against Asians in the recent years, especially during the pandemic". She said that the violence had heightened the atmosphere of fear for Asians and Asian Americans.[44]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Gonzales, Ruby; Holshouser, Emily (January 22, 2023). "10 killed in Monterey Park shooting as Lunar New Year is celebrated". Pasadena Star-News. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Live updates: Suspect in shooting at dance hall near Los Angeles is dead, sheriff says". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Winton, Richard; Park, Jeong; Jany, Libor; Lin, Summer; Ellis, Summer (January 22, 2023). "10 people killed, 10 injured in mass shooting at Monterey Park dance studio". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Allen, Keith; Burnside, Tina; Yan, Holly (January 22, 2023). "10 people were killed and 10 more are hospitalized in mass shooting in Monterey Park, California". CNN. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Dalton, Andrew (January 22, 2023). "Police: Gunman on the loose after killing 10 near LA". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  6. ^ "Gunman kills 10, wounds 10 after Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park". KTLA. January 22, 2023. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  7. ^ Reid, Tim (January 23, 2023). "California police seek motive behind shooting at Asian dance hall". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e Taxin, Amy; Dazio, Stefanie; Tang, Terry; Melley, Brian (January 23, 2023). "Sheriff: Dance Hall Shooter Had Gun Conviction, Extra Ammo". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  9. ^ Lakhani, Nina (January 22, 2023). "Ten dead in shooting after lunar new year festival near Los Angeles". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  10. ^ Moloney, Marita (January 22, 2023). "Monterey Park shooting: 10 dead in incident after Lunar New Year festival". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Horti, Samuel (January 22, 2023). "Festival distances itself from shooting". BBC. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Kim, Juliana (January 22, 2023). "10 people have been killed in a shooting near LA after a Lunar New Year festival". NPR. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  13. ^ "A celebration turned into a nightmare for one couple on the dance floor". The New York Times. January 22, 2023. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d e Reis Thebault & Marc Fisher, Inside the Monterey Park massacre: A night of dancing, then gunshots, Washington Post (January 23, 2023).
  15. ^ Kiszla, Cameron (May 24, 2022). "Gunman kills 10, wounds 10 more near Lunar New Year fest in Monterey Park, California". Ktla.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  16. ^ Brownlee, Chip; Mascia, Jennifer (January 23, 2023). "The Monterey Park Shooter Had an 'Assault Pistol.' What Does That Mean?". The Trace. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  17. ^ a b Jonathan Allen, Explainer: What guns were used to attack a Lunar New Year party in California? Archived January 24, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, Reuters (January 23, 2023).
  18. ^ "10 killed in Monterey Park mass shooting, standoff underway with the gunman in Torrance, police say". KABC-TV. January 22, 2023. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  19. ^ Palombo, Ross (January 22, 2023). "Monterey Park mass shooting: Witness describes the chaotic scene inside Star Ballroom Dance Studio". KCAL-TV. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  20. ^ a b c d e Winter, Jeff; Tolan, Casey; Glover, Scott (January 22, 2023). "Gunman had been a regular patron at dance hall he attacked, according to people who knew him". CNN. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Nathan Solis & Alexandra E. Petri, 'I was gonna die here': How a man disarmed the Monterey Park shooter, Los Angeles Times (January 23, 2023).
  22. ^ a b "Monterey Park shooting: Hero who disarmed gunman had never seen a real gun". BBC News. January 23, 2023. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  23. ^ "Monterey Park mass shooting: 2nd possible scene in Alhambra cleared after authorities investigate possible connection". CBS News. January 22, 2023. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  24. ^ "2nd scene in Alhambra cleared after police investigate possible connection to Monterey Park mass shooting". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  25. ^ "Sheriff says authorities investigating second incident that may be linked to Monterey Park shooting". CNN. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  26. ^ a b "'They saved lives': Police chief praises heroes who disarmed suspect at a second location". CNN. January 22, 2023. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  27. ^ Salahieh, Nouran; Winter, Jeffrey; Tolan, Casey; Glover, Scott (January 23, 2023). "What we know about the suspect in the Monterey Park massacre". CNN. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Honderich, Holly; Peter, Laurence (January 22, 2023). "Monterey Park shooting: Suspect found dead after dance studio attack". BBC News. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  29. ^ "Motive remains a mystery after a suspected gunman in Lunar New Year mass shooting found dead". The Los Angeles Times. January 22, 2023. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  30. ^ Mejia, Brittny (January 23, 2023). "Death toll rises to 11 in Monterey". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  31. ^ Navarro, Heather (January 22, 2023). "Suspect in Monterey Park Lunar New Year Celebration Shooting Identified as 72-Year-Old Man". KNBC. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  32. ^ Lin, Summer; Winton, Richard; Ellis, Rebecca; Park, Jeong; Jany, Libor; Lin II, Rong-Gong; Wick, Julia; Smith, Hayley; Truong, Debbie; Toohey, Gracey; Newberry, Laura (January 22, 2023). "Authorities Identify 72-Year-Old Man As Suspected Gunman in Lunar New Year Mass Shooting". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  33. ^ "蒙市大屠杀死者增至11人 目击者：马老板遇害". 世界新闻网 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  34. ^ a b c d e Levenson, Eric; Yan, Holly; Chan, Stella (January 23, 2023). "Investigators find a rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammo at the home of Monterey Park mass shooter". CNN. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  35. ^ Nouran Salahieh, Jeffrey Winter, Casey Tolan, Ralph Ellis, and Scott Glover, What we know about the suspect in the Monterey Park massacre Archived January 23, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, CNN (January 23, 2023).
  36. ^ a b Tim Arango, Here’s what we know about the suspected gunman Archived January 24, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, New York Times (January 23, 2023).
  37. ^ Cain, Josh; Lykke, Hanna (January 22, 2023). "72-year-old ID'd in Monterey Park mass shooting, and killed himself in Torrance, authorities say". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  38. ^ Samson, Carl (January 23, 2023). "Ex-wife of Monterey Park mass shooting suspect speaks out, says he was 'quick to anger'". www.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  39. ^ "Monterey Park suspect is the oldest mass shooter in recent history". www.latimes.com. January 24, 2023. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  40. ^ "California mass shooting suspect is oldest in US recorded history, researchers say". www.usatoday.com. January 24, 2023. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  41. ^ Forrest, Jack; Pellish, Aaron (January 22, 2023). "Biden offers condolences to victims of California mass shooting, acknowledges the impact on AAPI community". CNN. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  42. ^ Alonso, Melissa (January 22, 2023). "California Gov. Newsom says he's monitoring the Monterey Park shooting". CNN. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  43. ^ Elassar, Alaa (January 22, 2023). "Cities strengthen security ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations after Monterey Park massacre leaves Asian American community on edge". CNN. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  44. ^ Chang, Ailsa; Levitt, Michael; Troop, William (January 23, 2023). "Monterey Park's long history as a bastion for Asian-American suburban life". NPR. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
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