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Investigators are continuing to look into the motive of a 72-year-old man who shot and killed 11 people and wounded nine others Saturday night at Star Dance, a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park.
The shooter was identified as Huu Can Tran. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gun wound in Torrance as police surrounded his vehicle, authorities said Sunday.
Ten of those killed were pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim died Monday at LAC+USC Medical Center, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. One shooting victim taken to that facility remains serious condition, officials said.
All 11 victims have now been identified. They are:
Xiujuan Yu, 57
The death toll could have been higher without the intervention of a bystander at a second location about 15 to 20 minutes after the deadly shooting, according to L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Security camera footage shows how the shooter was disarmed by an unarmed Brandon Tsay at Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio in Alhambra, preventing further deaths, according to footage shared by news outlets including ABC News.
Security camera footage shows how the Monterey Park shooter was disarmed by an unarmed Brandon Tsay, preventing further deaths. Tsay went on TV this am: https://t.co/fuKiojWVDw pic.twitter.com/LVjn7qZfZr
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) January 23, 2023
"I think that individual is a hero for all of us," Supervisor Hilda Solis said at a Monday afternoon press conference. "Someone that put their own life at stake, and actually prevented more deaths from occurring, is a hero in my books."
Early information had indicated there may have been two people involved in disarming the shooter, but Luna noted Monday that there was just one.
After being disarmed, the man ran away.
Luna described the weapon recovered in Alhambra as a semi-automatic assault pistol with an extended large capacity magazine attached to it — a 9mm-caliber MAC-10 assault weapon. A handgun was also recovered from the van in Torrance — a Norinco 7.62x25 caliber handgun, Luna said Monday, which was registered to the suspect.
Luna noted that photos and more detailed information about the weapons aren't being released yet because they are still waiting for witnesses to identify those items.
The Monterey Park Police Department received numerous calls reporting a shooting in progress, Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese said at a Monday news conference, between 10:22 and 10:23 p.m. Saturday night.
One of the victims was shot in a vehicle outside of the dance hall, Luna said.
"We believe that that victim was probably shot before [the shooter] started his rampage going inside," Luna said.
Officers were at the scene at the Star Dance studio within 3-4 minutes, Wiese said — after dealing with those fleeing the location, including both those who were shot and those who hadn't been shot, they went inside.
"Imagine people coming out, and my officers swimming upstream to get inside to stop the problem," Wiese said.
Investigators recovered 42 shell casings and a large capacity magazine from the scene, Luna said Monday, indicating the suspect fired 42 rounds at that location.
The Star Dance studio has been in business more than 30 years, according to its website. People in the area say it's a popular spot for older Chinese people, and anyone can come in to learn to dance.
Monterey Park, in the San Gabriel Valley, is 65% Asian and home to many immigrants from China and Taiwan.
A large Lunar New Year festival had concluded down the street about an hour before the shooting.
"I'm a relatively new chief," Wiese said. "I've been in an acting role for a few months, but I was sworn in Thursday night, two days before this event. So, it's a little bit of trial by fire for me, but I had a lot of chiefs help out when I needed that assistance."
Wiese himself arrived at the scene in about 20 minutes, he said.
"I don't live that far away. I walked the scene, and it was very clear to me that I couldn't handle this on my own, with the people I have. It was going to be too much of a burden," Wiese said.
His first call was to L.A. County Sheriff's Department Homicide, with his next to Luna that night. Wiese said that he woke up Luna around 11:30 p.m. that night. It is common for smaller police departments in L.A. County to work with the sheriff's department on major crimes.
There are multiple public events coming up in Monterey Park, including Monday night, Wiese said. He added that they're working to assure the safety of those wanting to come out and grieve.
This was the worst mass shooting in L.A. County history, Supervisor Janice Hahn said at a Monday afternoon press conference.
"Los Angeles County is in mourning," Hahn said.
Wiese said he was concerned with the wellness of his officers.
"They're feeling it today," Wiese said.
The FBI is assisting the L.A. County Sheriff's Department in their efforts to identify the shooter's motive. Luna noted Monday afternoon that they still don't know if the shooting was planned.
"This is disturbing. How can you even come to reason that somebody would even think about doing something like this? It's horrendous," Luna said.
Hemet authorities, where Tran owned a home, said he visited their lobby on Jan. 7 and Jan. 9 — about a week prior to the shooting — "alleging past fraud, theft, and poisoning allegations involving his family in the Los Angeles area 10 to 20 years ago." He told authorities he would return with documentation, but never did.
Luna was asked about the poisoning allegations, along with other reports of potential motives, but said that none of those had been confirmed yet.
The L.A. County Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant on Tran's home in Hemet. Items recovered from the home, Sheriff Luna said, include:
Tran had previously lived in the city of San Gabriel, according to public records. A man, who described himself as a former longtime friend who knew him for about a decade when he lived there, said Tran visited both Star Dance and Lai Lai Ballroom almost nightly.
"That’s the only place he could go and that was the only thing he was interested in," the former friend said.
Read more: What We Know About The Gunman In the Monterey Park Mass Shooting
As homicide investigators continued their work Monday, Luna noted that there were many things that they still didn't know.
“There’s a lot of stories coming forward," Luna said. "We’re not ignoring any of them, but we’ve heard somethings that just are second, third-hand information, and the investigators are sifting through all that information to make sure that we determine the motive.”
Before, after announcing the identity of the gunman and reporting that he was dead, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said:
"Although that closes a portion of a very long day for all of us, the investigation is still ongoing. Sheriff's homicide detectives are working around the clock gathering additional information and working on determining the motive behind this extremely tragic event."
The celebration in Monterey Park is one of the largest Lunar New Year events in Southern California, with estimated crowds of more than 100,000 a day in previous years. Events planned in the city Sunday were canceled.
NPR provided additional context about mass shootings so far this year:
The shooting in Monterey Park comes amid an already violent year for the U.S.
The country has seen at least 33 mass shootings in 2023 alone, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive.
The archive defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are injured or killed, other than the shooter.
An estimated 2,539 people have been killed by gun violence so far this year, including 1,452 suicides.
“We don’t have to live this way,” Brady, a group working to combat gun violence, tweeted in response to the shooting. “We need #GunReformNow.”
We're bringing you more information as it comes in. Listen to 89.3 KPCC FM for live coverage.
Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
GoFundMe has set up a dedicated fundraising page to support survivors and loved ones of the mass shooting. The list includes:
These funds are verified, according to GoFundMe, meaning their team is ensuring donations will be used as claimed. You can see the full list here.
A resource center has been opened at the Langley Senior Citizen Center in Monterey Park for survivors and family and friends of victims, though authorities have not yet identified all of the victims. Food, shelter, counseling, translation, and immigration services are being offered.
Read our live coverage: Mass Shooting In Monterey Park Leaves 10 Dead, 10 Wounded. What We Know So Far
Trauma resources for adults and employers:
How to help children make sense of the news:
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Caitlin Hernández and Mike Roe updated LAist Monday based on official reports and contributions from their colleagues.
