Breaking News: Police have reported that the suspect they had surrounded in a white van has been found dead. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said investigators confirmed that the suspect took his own life during the stand-off, CNN reports.
According to CNN, the suspect has been identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran. It was also confirmed that the suspect is the man who killed 10 and injured a dozen more in the shooting that took place in Monterey Park on January 21. His motive is not yet known.
Ten people are dead and at least 10 more are injured after a gunman opened fire inside a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park on Saturday Night.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the shooting began around 10:22 p.m. local time on January 21. As the Los Angeles Times reports, this is one of California’s most deadly mass shootings.
10 Dead and More Injured in Mass Shooting Outside a Lunar New Year Celebration in California
As authorities report, it is believed the gunman is male and he is “still at large.” As of 9:00 a.m. EST on January 22, there is “no known motive” or available “description of the shooter.”
Sheriff’s Captain Andrew Meyer told reports that “when officers arrived on the scene, they observed numerous individuals, patrons … pouring out of the location, screaming. The officers made entry to the location and located additional victims.” As first responders began to rescue people from chaos, 10 of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
Meyer concludes that it remains unclear if the gunman targeted these victims specifically. “We will look at every angle,” Meyer said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The ages of the victims are also not yet known.
While the police were unable to share details about the type of gun used in the shooting, a seafood bbq restaurant owner named Seung Won Choi said three people ran into his establishment during the shooting and told him to lock the doors.
As the LA Times reports, the people reportedly told Choi that there was a man nearby with a semiautomatic gun that he reloaded once he ran out of ammunition.
Although Meyer said it was too early in the investigation to label the shooting a hate crime, the shooting reportedly took place “near the site of a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration.” Thousands were gathered last night for the two-day-long festival.
Monterey Park has a majority Asian American population, the LA Times reports.
“Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones tonight in our neighboring city, Monterey Park, where a mass shooting just occurred,” Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia, the first Asian American to hold citywide office in L.A., said on Twitter.
This story is developing, Mamas Uncut will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.
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