Following a Lunar New Year party that drew hundreds of people, a mass shooting east of Los Angeles left at least 10 people dead and 10 injured, according to authorities.
The incident, which happened late on Saturday, was reported to have taken place at a ballroom dance club on Garvey Avenue in Monterey Park.
According to Captain Andrew Meyer of the LA County Sheriff’s Department, when local officers arrived, they discovered an “individual pouring out of the location.”
At least ten patients with states ranging from stable to critical were sent to local hospitals.
Authorities in the area are searching for a man who escaped following the incident. About two miles north of Monterey Park in Alhambra, where a second incident might have occurred, police are also looking into it.
Meyer did not elaborate on the shooter’s identity or potential motivation. He continued by saying it wasn’t apparent if the shooting was a deliberate act of hatred.
According to Meyer, it is still too early to determine whether the shooter knew anyone who was there in the ballroom or whether the incident was driven by hatred. He said that authorities were looking into another event in the neighbouring city of Alhambra to see whether there was any connection.
“We will look at every angle,” he added.
The probe also involves the FBI and state officials.
According to the Census Bureau, Monterey Park is home to around 59,000 individuals, 65 % of whom identify as Asian.
A two-day street carnival to mark the Lunar New Year ended on the first day when the incident took place. One of the greatest free street fairs in Southern California, the occasion, which started on the night of the Lunar New Year, regularly attracts audiences of over 100,000 people and over a hundred food vendors, performers, and retailers.
According to Monterey Park Police, the gunshot has forced the cancellation of the festival.
Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia tweeted, “Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones tonight in our neighbouring city, Monterey Park, where a mass shooting just occurred.”
