Crowds had gathered to mark Chinese Lunar New Year in Monterey Park, east of Los Angeles
A mass shooting occurred during Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park in California on Saturday night. Local authorities said that nine people had been killed. Media reports also suggest at least 16 were wounded.
In a statement on Sunday, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Information Bureau said that the tragedy took place after 10:00 pm at 100 West Garvey Avenue. “There are nine deceased,” it said, identifying the shooter as a male. It did not provide any further detail.
Several witnesses claimed that the shooting took place at a dance studio on Garvey Avenue, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Video on social media shows first responders rushing to the area as well as several people being taken to hospitals.
🚨#BREAKING: Mass shooting with reports of multiple victims Dead
⁰📌#MontereyPark | #CACurrently multiple authorities are responding to a mass shooting in Monterey Park with reports of 16 people have been shot with unconfirmed reports 10 fatalities this is still developing pic.twitter.com/4XUwRwaibf
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 22, 2023
It was not immediately clear whether the shooter was in police custody or still at large.
One local business owner told The Los Angeles Times that after the gunfire erupted, three people rushed into his restaurant and told him to lock the doors. They said the suspect was a man with what looked like a semi-automatic weapon.
A local resident also told LA Times that a friend of his was in the club’s bathroom when the suspect opened fire. According to his friend, the shooter was armed with a long gun and there were at least three bodies lying on the ground, one of whom apparently was the boss of the club.
The tragedy took place as tens of thousands of people gathered in the afternoon for a two day festival to mark Chinese New Year.
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