California Lunar New Year mass shooter dead, motive unclear: police

According to the local sheriff, the shooter who is thought to have killed 10 people during Lunar New Year celebrations in California killed himself as police closed in to take him into custody.

A man opened fire inside a dance studio and club in Monterey Park, a nearby city with a sizable Asian culture, late Saturday, sparking an intense manhunt.

According to witnesses, he fired randomly and looked to have a large supply of ammo.

According to authorities, there were 10 people hurt along with five males and five women, the most of whom were in their 50s or 60s.

The alleged shooter, Huu Can Tran, 72, was then seen leaving the club after being tackled and disarmed by clubgoers. Huu Can Tran was later confirmed by authorities as the shooter.

Sheriff of Los Angeles County Robert Luna claimed that during the course of the next few hours, authorities located a sought van that was later reported in Torrance, some distance (kilometers) south.

Officers heard one gunshot from inside as they drew near.

“The suspect sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene,” Luna said.

“I can confirm that there are no outstanding suspects from the mass shooting incident.”

Luna said the reason behind the horrific attack, which came as Asian communities around the world celebrated Lunar New Year, the most important holiday of the calendar, remained a mystery.

“The investigation is still ongoing. Sheriff’s homicide detectives are working around the clock gathering additional information and working on determining the motive behind this extremely tragic event,” he said

Luna paid tribute to two people at the site of the second attempted attack.

“I can tell you that the suspect walked in there, probably with the intent to kill more people, and two brave community members decided they were going to jump into action and disarm him.”

“They took possession of the weapon, and the suspect ran away.”

The weapon used was not an assault rifle, Luna said, but “a magazine-fed semi automatic assault pistol… that had an extended large capacity magazine attached to it.”

Mridha Shihab Mahmud is a writer, content editor and photojournalist. He works as a staff reporter at News Hour. He is also involved in humanitarian works through a trust called Safety Assistance For Emergencies (SAFE). Mridha also works as film director. His passion is photography. He is the chief respondent person in Mymensingh Film & Photography Society. Besides professional attachment, he loves graphics designing, painting, digital art and social networking.
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