Monterey Park community deals with shock and loss as investigators look for a motive in the mass shooting that killed 11 read full article at worldnews365.me

CNN
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As investigators work to find out a motive within the mass shooting that killed 11 people and injured 9 others at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, the group now faces an extended street to restoration, mayor mentioned.

“People are just in disbelief and shock, and are feeling very numb,” Mayor Henry Lo advised CNN Monday night time. The Saturday night time capturing got here as the town’s majority Asian group was marking the Lunar New Yr, bringing tragedy on what was speculated to be one of the auspicious days of the calendar.

“There is a lot of fear and anxiety out there. People are fearful of this kind of situation where our joyous Lunar New Year celebration was turned utterly upside down into tragedy and fear,” Rep. Judy Chu, who represents Monterey Park, mentioned Monday, standing at a candlelight vigil for these killed.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom was assembly with victims of the capturing Monday when he was pulled away to be briefed on another fatal mass shooting in Half Moon Bay – the state’s second mass capturing in three days. “Tragedy upon tragedy,” Newsom mentioned in a tweet.

Monterey Park’s mayor despatched condolences to Half Moon Bay, saying, “I know what is in store for them in the next few days.”

As investigators assemble in Northern California, officers to the south say they’ve uncovered “several items of interest” throughout a search of the house of the Monterey Park capturing suspect, recognized as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran.

A few of the objects discovered whereas detectives executed a search warrant on the suspect’s Hemet, California, residence Monday led officers to imagine he was “manufacturing homemade firearm suppressors,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna mentioned.

Detectives additionally discovered “hundreds of rounds” of ammunition, a 308-caliber rifle and varied digital units, the sheriff added.

Nonetheless, as investigators probe the massive cache of ammo they discovered, it stays unclear what motivated the Saturday night attack.

“Did he plan this? Was it the day of? Was it the week before?” Luna mentioned at a information convention Monday. “We don’t know. But we intend to find out.”

The gunman was “very familiar” with the dance studio the place the capturing befell, Los Angeles County District Lawyer George Gascón advised CNN. “There is certainly the appearance that this was targeted,” he added.

Three people who knew Tran, including his ex-wife, additionally advised CNN that he had as soon as been a well-recognized face on the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, the place he gave casual dance classes.

However it’s not clear how typically he visited in recent times, if in any respect, and authorities are nonetheless investigating whether or not any of the victims have been identified to Tran.

The capturing at Star Ballroom Dance Studio occurred round 10:22 p.m. Saturday. The gunman fired 42 rounds of ammunition from a high-capacity handgun on the dance corridor, in accordance with Sheriff Luna.

No less than one individual was shot in a automobile exterior the dance studio, and police imagine Tran shot that individual first earlier than he entered the dance studio and opened hearth on the group of civilians, the sheriff mentioned.

Monterey Park officers have been on the studio inside three to 4 minutes, arriving to a scene of “carnage” as folks lay wounded and others have been pouring out of the venue, Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese mentioned.

About 20 minutes after the capturing, the suspect – nonetheless armed– confirmed up at a second dance studio in close by Alhambra the place authorities say a man wrestled a gun away from him – a firearm authorities finally used to ID the suspect, in accordance with a legislation enforcement official with data of the case.

The weapon was described as a 9mm semi-automatic MAC-10 pistol with an prolonged large-capacity journal, in accordance with Luna, who added that the assault weapon seems to have been modified.

On Sunday, Tran was found dead inside a van about 30 miles away in Torrance as a SWAT staff swarmed the automobile. The sheriff mentioned he died following a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Investigators additionally recovered a Norinco 7.62 x 25 handgun registered to the suspect inside Tran’s cargo van, Luna mentioned.

Ballistic and forensic comparisons will have to be accomplished on all the objects that have been recovered from the alleged shooter’s residence, as authorities additionally look into Tran’s historical past.

Up to now, the sheriff has mentioned that the suspect had a “limited criminal history,” noting an arrest in 1990 for illegal possession of a firearm.

Rep. Judy Chu mentioned the gunman who killed 11 on Saturday night time “took them away from their families at a night that was supposed to be joyous, Lunar New Year.”

The victims – 5 males and 6 girls – have been over the age of fifty, and three have been over 70 years outdated, in accordance with the Los Angeles County coroner’s workplace.

4 of the victims have been recognized as: 65-year-old My Nhan, 63-year-old Lilan Li, 57-year-old Xiujuan Yu, and 68-year-old Valentino Alvero, the coroner mentioned. The opposite victims have been described as two girls of their 60s, a girl in her 70s, a person in his 60s and three males of their 70s, the workplace mentioned.

No less than a type of killed was a Chinese language citizen and one of many victims, Alvero, was a United States citizen of Filipino descent, in accordance with the nations’ consulates in Los Angeles.

Two Taiwanese Individuals have been additionally among the many victims, in accordance with Taiwan’s de facto diplomatic consultant in Los Angeles, the Taipei Financial and Cultural Workplace.

Nhan, referred to as “Mymy,” cherished to bounce and spent a few years on the dance studio the place she was killed, in accordance with a press release from her household.

Nhan’s dance teacher, Maksym Kapitanchuk, advised CNN she was a delight to have round.

“She would always smile,” Kapitanchuk mentioned. “I don’t even think I’ve ever seen her without her smile – even through the mask I can see her eyes smiling. She was the delight of the class, of any party, any class.”

At Monday’s vigil, leaders described the shock and the loss being felt throughout the Monterey Park group.

“This hit too close to home,” mentioned Chun-Yen Chen, govt director of the Asian Pacific Group Fund.

On Saturday, group members had been celebrating the Lunar New Yr on the ballroom alongside dancing grandparents. “Now some of them are no longer with us,” she mentioned.

Many leaders praised the group for coming collectively within the wake of the tragedy.

“We will not let this murderer defeat us,” Former Meeting member Mike Eng mentioned on the vigil. “We will move forward with more enthusiasm and more love, because the only thing that defeats hate is love.”