Ten people were killed, and another 10 were wounded Saturday night in Monterey Park, California, when a gunman began shooting during a massive Lunar New Year celebration in the Los Angeles suburb.
As of early Sunday, police said the shooter was in the wind and admitted they did not even have a description beyond the fact that the shooter was a man, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The shooting, which occurred in a ballroom, took place shortly after 10:20 p.m., according to the Pasadena Star-News.
“When officers arrived on scene, they observed numerous individuals, patrons … pouring out of the location, screaming. The officers made entry to the location and located additional victims,” Los Angeles Sheriff’s Capt. Andrew Meyer said, according to the LA Times.
#BREAKING – Heartbreaking and sickening news.. 10 people are dead and 10 others are in the hospital after a mass shooting at a dance club after a Lunar New Year festival in Monterey Park, near Los Angeles. Suspect still on the loose.#stopasianshate #stopaapihate #thisisamerica pic.twitter.com/eMrx3Kxr5r
— nydiahan (@nydia_han) January 22, 2023
Meyer said investigators do not know if any one person was targeted or if the shooting was a hate crime.
“We will look at every angle,” Meyer said.
Seung Won Choi, who owns a nearby restaurant, said three people ran into his business for shelter, and told him the shooter was using a semiautomatic gun and kept reloading during the incident.
Wong Wei, who said a friend of his had gone to the dance club, said his friend told him the gunman had a long gun and seemed to fire without any pattern.
Meyer said of the 10 people wounded, their conditions ranged from stable to critical, according to the Star-News.
Scanner audio from the Verdugo Fire Department reveals the moments after first responders were called to the Monterey Park mass shooting. pic.twitter.com/BmNEUAjNxk
— KCAL News (@CBSLA) January 22, 2023
Deputy Tracy Koerner said the shooting “appears to be” an isolated incident and took place about an hour after a public festival to celebrate the Lunar New Year had concluded.
The Times reported that police were at the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra Sunday morning in relation to another incident, but it was unclear whether the two were related.
Here’s what we know about a second possible scene in Alhambra that’s unfolded as police investigate a mass shooting in Monterey Park: https://t.co/pOhZUQURoQ
— KCAL News (@CBSLA) January 22, 2023
Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Weise said a Lunar New Year event scheduled for Sunday has been canceled, according to CNN.
“The festival that occurred Saturday also extended to Sunday. Out of an abundance of caution and reverence for the victims, we are canceling the event that’s going to happen later today. The Lunar festival here in Monterey Park has been canceled,” he said.
According to KABC-TV, Monterey Park’s Lunar New Year celebration often draws up to 100,000 people.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
