The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said 10 people were killed and 10 wounded when a gunman opened fire Saturday in the middle of a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, an Asian American enclave in Southern California.
It’s unclear what the motive was behind the killings, and the suspect remains at large, Capt. Andrew Meyer of the department’s homicide division said at a news conference Sunday morning.
He said, “Investigators are working on all leads in this case.”
The shooting happened at a ballroom dance studio, the mayor said. He added that authorities were reviewing closed-circuit TV footage from near the scene.
Ten people died at the scene and at least 10 others were taken to hospital “in critical condition with stable injuries,” the mayor added.
The mayor said a male suspect fled the scene and more information about the suspect will be provided as it becomes available.
“As far as whether the suspect knew any of the victims, it’s too early in the investigation to know,” he said.
He did not say why investigators did not report the attack for hours while the gunman remained at large.
The mayor said people were “screaming from the place” when officers arrived at the scene at 10:30 p.m. local time (1:30 a.m. ET). He said officers entered the dance ballroom while firefighters treated the injured.
In a video posted on social media, police, and firefighters can be seen battling in the area. Others showed victims being transported in ambulances.
The mayor said police are investigating another incident in the nearby city of Alhambra to see if it is connected.
The shooting came as thousands of people, two-thirds of them Asian American, gathered in Monterey Park, a small town of about 60,000, for the Lunar New Year festival. It is about 10 miles east of Los Angeles.
Monterey Park’s neighboring community, Alhambra, is over 50% Asian American.
The two-day event features “food booths with a variety of delicious items, amusement rides, and lots of live entertainment,” according to the city’s website.
Previous festivals have drawn crowds of more than 100,000 visitors per day, the city’s website said, drawing crowds from the Southern California region.
The mayor said police would “look at every angle to see if this was a hate crime” but said it was too early in the investigation to know if the attack was racially motivated.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a tweet Sunday morning that he was closely monitoring the shooting. His office said it was working with local law enforcement on the response.
“Monterey Park should have had a fun night of Lunar New Year celebrations,” Newsom said. “Instead, they were victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence.”
Sunday’s event was canceled out of respect for the victims, Monterey Park Police Department Chief Scott Wiese told reporters.
The mass shooting shocked those familiar with the normally peaceful area.
Simu Liu, who plays warrior Shang-Chi in Marvel’s first Asian superhero movie, tweeted that he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident.
“It’s home to Asian American families, parents, grandparents, siblings, children, aunts, and uncles. Everyone was excited to celebrate the New Year this weekend,” he said.
The latest violence comes two months after five people were killed at a Colorado Springs nightclub.