At least 10 people were killed and 10 others wounded at a Lunar New Year celebration near Los Angeles overnight, prompting a manhunt for those responsible.
Officers responded to Star Dance Studio, a ballroom dance club in the city of Monterey Park, shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday as revelers were fleeing the facility. Medics began treating those injured and rushed the physically wounded to area hospitals, where their conditions ranged from stable to critical, according to KTLA-TV.
Those who perished in the attack were declared dead at the scene.
Seung Won Choi, the owner of a restaurant across the street from the dance club, said three people ran into the restaurant and asked him to lock the door. The terrified partygoers said the shooter was carrying a cache of ammunition with him, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Nearby resident Wong Wei said his friend was in the bathroom at the club when the shooting began. When then friend exited the bathroom, she reported seeing a gunman and three people who were dead.
The friend later went to Wei’s home and said the shooter seemed to be firing “indiscriminately” using a long gun, the Associated Press reports.
Sources told FOX 11 that law enforcement believes they know the identity of the shooter and are searching for a male suspect. The shooter may have used a “high-powered assault rifle,” according to KTLA-TV.
Investigators are probing whether an incident at the Lai Lai Ballroom in the nearby city of Alhambra may be tied to the mass shooting. It is not yet clear if the shooter targeted anyone or whether the shooting constitutes a hate crime.
Monterey Park has a majority Asian population. Witnesses said at least several of the victims appeared to be elderly and Asian, according to FOX 11.
The attack in Monterey Park is the fifth mass shooting in the United States in January and the deadliest since the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022.
Authorities are scheduled to speak at a press conference at 8 a.m. local time Sunday.
To report information about the shooting, call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office at 323-890-5500. To provide an anonymous tip, call 800-222-8477.
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