A mass shooting caused multiple casualties, including ten killed and a further ten injured, on January, 22, in Monterey Park. The suspected shooter is still reportedly at large.
Emergency services rushed to the scene where large numbers of people were gathered amid Chinese New Year celebrations. According to one eye-witness, there was at least one gunman armed with a “machine gun”.
The shooting purportedly happened at around 10:22 pm at a ballroom dance hall. Details surrounding the incident remain vague.
The Shooting
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, there have been ten fatalities and ten injuries as a result of the mass shooting. The injured were brought to local hospitals in Monterey Park, a Californian city in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County.
Police and emergency services arrived at the scene of the gunfire to find patrons “pouring out of the location screaming,” said Captain Andrew Meyer said.
It is not clear exactly what weapon was used to perpetrate the mass shooting, other than that it was a firearm, Meyer explained.
There was another incident in the neighboring suburb of Alhambra, north of Monterey Park, but it is uncertain whether the two incidents are related. Meyer clarified that the police “have investigators on scene trying to determine if there’s a connection between these two incidents.”
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Vice-President Kamala Harris has also been briefed on the mass shooting.
“The President has been briefed by the Homeland Security Advisor on the mass shooting in Monterey Park,” Jean-Pierre tweeted, “He directed her to make sure that the FBI is providing full support to local authorities, and to update him regularly today as more details are known.”
The President has been briefed by the Homeland Security Advisor on the mass shooting in Monterey Park. He directed her to make sure that the FBI is providing full support to local authorities, and to update him regularly today as more details are known.
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) January 22, 2023
Suspect at large
Only vague details are known about the suspect, who is still at large. The police say that the suspect is male.
No motive is yet known and Meyer told the press that investigators do not have enough evidence to determine why the victims were targeted. There is some speculation by the media as to whether the incident was a hate crime.
AP News reported that the “police gave no information on the shooting for hours while the shooter remained on the run.” Details surrounding the incident still remain scant.
Witnesses
Seung Won Choi is one of the witnesses who has spoken to the media about the incident. He owns a seafood barbecue restaurant across the road from where the gunfire started on Garvey Avenue. He was working when three people dashed into his restaurant and urged him to lock the door.
Choi told the press that he believed the incident took place at a dance club in the area. The three people who had rushed into his restaurant told him that the gunman was armed with a “machine gun” and was carrying multiple rounds of ammunition.
John, a 27-year-old witness who lives near where the incident took place, also spoke to the media. He said that he arrived home around 10:00 pm before hearing four or five gunshots. Next, he heard police cruisers “smashing” down the road.
At about 11:20 pm, John went down the stairs to see what was going on. “My first concern was I know they’re having a Lunar New Year celebration,” he commented. He proceeded to the scene of the shooting where he said that he saw one person being lifted onto a stretcher and another with a bandaged arm.
BREAKING: I am in Monterey Park where there are reports of at least ten people shot at a Lunar New Year event. Very little info and I’m still headed to the primary scene. Monterey Park PD & Alhambra PD are on scene. More soon. pic.twitter.com/ewFho0Joju
— Emily Holshouser (@emilyytayylor) January 22, 2023
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