MONTEREY PARK, Calif.—A possible suspect in a mass shooting in which 10 people were killed and another 10 wounded at a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park was found dead inside a white van at a strip mall in Torrance Jan. 22 after a standoff with law enforcement.
The attack occurred at 10:22 p.m. Saturday at the Star Dance Studio in the 100 block of West Garvey Avenue, Homicide Bureau Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told reporters at the scene during an early morning news conference.
About 17 minutes after the Monterey Park shooting, a man walked into the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in the 100 block of South Garfield Avenue in neighboring Alhambra with a gun, but some people wrestled the weapon away from him and he fled, Luna said.
In what he called a “preliminary description,” Luna said the shooter was a “male Asian” between 30 and 50 years old. The sheriff’s department later released surveillance images of the suspect and added that he was 5 feet 10 inches tall and 150 pounds, and last seen wearing a black leather jacket, a beanie, and glasses.
Luna added that authorities were searching for a white cargo van the suspect might have used to escape.
Torrance police later cornered a white van near Sepulveda and Hawthorne boulevards in the parking lot at the large mall. Police maneuvered two SWAT vehicles on either end of the van, butting up against it, while a large number of police vehicles stood by for support.
All lanes at the intersection of Hawthorne and Sepulveda were closed for the police investigation.
A law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times that shots were fired, but it was not clear if anyone was hit. A bomb squad truck was sent to the strip mall, which contains a Tokyo Central outlet and a Daiso store. A sheriff’s department helicopter also landed on Hawthorne Boulevard and was standing by.
Authorities entered the van shortly before 1 p.m. and found a man in the driver’s seat dead from one or more gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear if the wounds were self-inflicted or if the man was shot by police or sheriff’s personnel.
Luna said at a news briefing later Sunday that authorities did not know for sure whether the person in the van was connected to the two earlier crimes. He said authorities had the suspect’s name but were not releasing it yet because they believe it could hamper efforts to take him into custody.
The 10 injured people were listed in stable to critical condition at area hospitals including Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center, Meyer said. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the 10 dead were five men and five women.
Jorge Orozco, CEO of LAC+USC Medical Center, confirmed in a statement Jan. 22 morning that four of the victims have been admitted to the center but were unable to share details on the patient’s current condition due to privacy laws.
“However, we want to assure the families of those at our LAC+USC Medical Center that our medical teams are doing everything possible to care for their loved ones,” the statement read.
Monterey Park has a population of about 61,000, roughly 66 percent of whom are Asian. Witnesses said several of Saturday’s victims were senior citizens who appeared to be Asian.
About 17 minutes after the Monterey Park shooting, a man walked into the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in the 100 block of South Garfield Avenue in neighboring Alhambra with a gun, but some people wrestled the weapon away from him and he fled, Luna said.
About 50 percent of Alhambra’s population of nearly 82,000 is Asian.
The motive has not been released, but the shooting took place near a large celebration for the Chinese New Year. The City of Monterey Park canceled Sunday’s planned second day of the two-day celebration, but other holiday events were still planned throughout Southern California. Luna said at a Sunday morning news conference that he would be attending a similar event in a few hours, and encouraged the public to continue celebrating the holiday.
In light of the shooting, the USC Pacific Asia Museum canceled its Lunar New Year Festival originally scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday.
Police Chief Michel Moore said the Los Angeles Police Department has “added patrols across our Asian communities today and will meet with any organizers hosting New Year celebrations.”
“We are working closely with @LASDHQ and @MontereyParkPD to support in any manner possible. Such a tragic loss of life and a dark day,” Moore wrote on Twitter.
The Long Beach Police Department also said its officers would be increasing patrols Sunday.
The manhunt was drawing assistance from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and a host of local law enforcement agencies. Luna said authorities recovered the weapon from the Alhambra incident, but he did not say what kind of weapon was used in the Monterey Park shooting.
Asked if it might be a hate crime, the sheriff said, “Everything is on the table.”
However, Chester Chong, chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce L.A., told ABC7 that he believed it was a domestic violence incident involving the husband and wife who own the studio. That account was unconfirmed.
“Sometimes, the wife goes [to the dance studio] and the husband does not go. That’s why he’s so upset, and because we have so many guns, it’s too easy to bring a gun over there to kill people. It’s horrible, it’s very sad,” Chong said.
“This is not a hate crime, this is not. This case is a personal case,” he said.
A news videographer at the scene in Alhambra said people at the business were able to disarm the male suspect, who fled the scene, and no injuries were reported.
The Monterey Park shooting occurred about an hour after thousands of people had been in the area for the first day of a two-day Lunar New Year festival that had ended before the shots were fired. Most of the crowds had already left the area.
Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese told reporters the second-day event was canceled “out of an abundance of caution.”
“The City of Monterey Park is saddened to announce that there was a shooting incident that occurred at 122 West Garvey in the City of Monterey Park late on Saturday, January 21,” officials said. “The City expresses condolences to the individuals, families, and friends who were injured in this tragic incident. Even though the incident did not occur at the 2023 Lunar New Year Festival, an active investigation is currently underway and the area near and around the festival is affected.”
When Monterey Park police officers arrived they saw numerous patrons pouring out of the business, screaming, Meyer said. He said detectives will review surveillance video and “work every lead in the case.”
Seung Won Choi, who owns a seafood barbecue restaurant across the street from the shooting site, told the Los Angeles Times that three people rushed into his restaurant and told him to lock the door because a man with a semiautomatic gun was in the area, The Times reported.
They told Choi the shooter had multiple rounds of ammunition and was able to reload his weapon, according to the paper.
Video from the scene showed first responders from other jurisdictions helping their Monterey Park counterparts. Patrol vehicles from Alhambra and El Monte were observed as well as an ambulance from South Pasadena.
Officials’ Reaction
Biden posted on Twitter the following statement: “Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in last night’s deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park. I’m monitoring this situation closely as it develops, and urge the community to follow guidance from local officials and law enforcement in the hours ahead.”Gov. Gavin Newsom also shared his thoughts on Twitter.
“Monterey Park should have had a night of joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year,” Newsom wrote. “Instead, they were the victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence. Our hearts mourn as we learn more about the devastating acts of last night. We are monitoring the situation closely.”
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón wrote on Twitter: “The mass shooting that occurred overnight in Monterey Park is unspeakable. Our office has been on site with Monterey Park PD, LASD, and our federal law enforcement partners. No community should have to experience a horrific tragedy like this—especially on a day meant for festivity and joy. We stand with the Monterey Park Community and everyone involved.”
Congresswoman Judy Chu also react to the mass shooting in her district: “My heart is broken for the victims, their families, and the people of my hometown Monterey Park who were impacted by the mass shooting that took place during a night of Lunar New Year celebrations,” Chu wrote on Twitter. “I am closely following the situation.”
Saturday’s shooting was the worst mass shooting in Los Angeles County since a disgruntled ex-husband killed 10 people, including himself, in Covina in 2008.
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call sheriff’s homicide detectives at 323-890-5500 or leave anonymous tips on the Crime Stoppers line at 800-222-8477.
