Mass shootings continue to plague our world. Saturday night, a gunman opened fire in Monterey Park, killing ten people and injuring another 10.
On Saturday, around 10:22 p.m., Monterey Park Police responded to Star Dance Studio for reports about shots being fired, Lieutenant Patricia Thomas of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.
Responding officers found multiple victims and other people in the parking lot. Officers then went inside and found more victims. Ten people were pronounced dead at the scene, and at least ten were taken to local hospitals for injuries, with conditions ranging from stable to critical, Fox LA News reported.
Authorities say the suspect is male and “fled the scene and remains outstanding.” Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department told the Associated Press.
Authorities have no motive at this time. “As far as the suspect knowing any of the victims, it’s too early in the investigation to know that,” Meyer added.
The shooting occurred as many gathered for a Lunar New Year Festival in Monterey Park, an area with a large Asian community. Officials say it’s too early to call the tragedy a hate crime.
The two-day event has been canceled for Sunday out of respect for the victims and “an abundance of caution,” Monterey Park Police Department Chief Scott Wiese said in a news conference, per NBC News.
Investigators say there may be a connection between the shooting and a scene at the Lai Lai Ballroom in Alhambra. Sources told FOX News that the scene in Alhambra is indeed connected to the one in Monterey Park and that law enforcement believes they know who the shooter is.
The LASD Homicide unit is now working closely with the Monterey Park Police Department, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, and other law enforcement agencies to investigate the mass shooting, the police release said.
