Authorities said that a mass shooting at a Lunar New Year party in Monterey Park, California, left at least 10 people dead.
A place where people had congregated to celebrate the Lunar New Year was the scene of a mass shooting late Saturday in Monterey Park, California, in which at least 10 people were murdered and several more were injured, according to officials.
10 individuals were declared dead at the scene, according to Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau, also reported that 10 more victims were transported to nearby hospitals in a range of situations, from stable to critical.
After the shooting, the suspect—whom officials had previously described as a man—reportedly left the scene and is still at large, according to Meyer. The suspect's identity was not immediately known.
Around 10:30 p.m., cops arrived at the dancing ballroom to find "people streaming out of the premises screaming," Meyer said, adding that officers entered the club while firemen attended to the injured.
Meyer said that at this time, no other information was known about the used handgun. He said that it is still too early in the inquiry to determine if the shooter knew any of the victims or whether the incident was motivated by hatred.
He said that authorities were looking into another incident that happened at the Lai Lai Ballroom in the adjacent city of Alhambra to determine whether it was related. There were no early reports of injuries in that event.
Fox News was informed by sources that the police think the two crimes are related and that they are aware of the identity of the alleged shooter. A "high-powered assault weapon," according to the sources, was used.
President Biden has received a briefing on the incident from Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, according to a tweet from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. According to Jean-Pierre, [Biden] "ordered her to ensure that the FBI is fully supporting local police and to brief him constantly today as more facts are available."
The incident during the Lunar New Year party was dubbed "horrific and cruel" by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Photos and videos posted on the Citizen app, which enables citizens to report crimes in their neighborhood, show that a sizable police presence reacted to the 120 block of West Garvey Avenue in Monterey Park, a community in Los Angeles County.
A line of police cars was observed obstructing a space between the Chinese grocery shop TS Emporium and a GBC International Bank. W. Garvey Avenue was lined with entertainment venues, stores, and restaurants on Saturday night.
A mass shooting occurred, according to the Monterey Park Fire Department; however, they were unable to establish how many individuals may have been shot. Although Monterey police have not yet provided any details on the incident, they did say a press conference is planned for 7 a.m. PST.
The gunman is a guy, the sheriff's department's Sgt. Bob Boese previously confirmed to the Associated Press, but he withheld any other identifying information.
The Lunar event that was supposed to take place in Monterey Park later on Sunday has been canceled, according to officials, "out of an excess of caution."
The "Year of the Rabbit" Lunar New Year celebration drew a sizable crowd to the city on Saturday night.
The Lunar New Year event includes "vendors providing unique gifts and specialized goods, food booths with many sorts of scrumptious dishes, amusement rides, and loads of live entertainment," according to the Monterey Park city government website.
According to the website, the event began on Saturday morning and included "several forms of entertainment." Additionally, "parking lots at the intersection of Garvey and Lincoln Avenues will have a carnival fun zone."
It said that previous Lunar New Year celebrations at Monterey Park attracted audiences of over 100,000 people every day from all around the Southern California region.
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