The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office on Monday released the names of two victims in the Monterey Park mass shooting, which has seen the death toll rise to 11, with nine others injured.
The coroner identified two victims as Mymy Nhan, a 65-year-old woman, and Li Lilan, a 63-year-old woman. The identities of the remaining victims, who range in age from their 50s to 70s, have yet to be released.
Of the people killed whose names haven’t been released, two were women in their 60s, and one was in her 50s. There were also three men in their 70s, and two in their 60s.
Nhan’s family said her death was “still sinking in.”
Nhan’s family described her as having a “warm smile” and said her kindness was “contagious.”
Dance Studios Under Fire
The suspected gunman, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, opened fire at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park at around 10 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to police. A witness said that Tran entered while they were dancing and opened fire; he left the building to get more ammunition before returning and continuing to fire.Tran allegedly attempted to carry out another shooting at a separate dance club in Alhambra around 20 minutes later after leaving the Star Ballroom Dance Studio. But police said the hall’s owner Brandon Tsay disarmed Tran and he ran off.
Death Toll Climbs
Initially, 10 people were reported to have died on the scene and 10 more were injured.“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we are saddened to share that one of the victims has succumbed to their extensive injuries. We want to express our deepest sympathies to their families and loved ones,” said LAC+USC chief executive Jorge Orozco in a statement.
He stated that three more victims are still receiving medical treatment at the hospital, with one of them in a serious condition, while the remaining two are recovering.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said on Monday that 42 shell casings were recovered from the studio as well as a large-capacity ammunition magazine.
Investigators also confiscated a rifle and various electronic devices from the suspect’s mobile home in a gated senior living community in the town of Hamet, about 80 miles east of Los Angeles, Luna said.
Luna said that the discovery and seizure of hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the dwelling led investigators to believe Tran was manufacturing homemade weapons silencers.
