Authorities in California say they’re investigating the likelihood {that a} male suspect believed to have shot and killed 10 folks at a Lunar New Years celebration could have entered a second dance corridor close by about half-hour later. The weapon he was carrying was wrestled away by somebody on the Alhambra dance studio and handed over to police. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna additionally mentioned at a press convention Sunday that the suspect who left 10 folks useless and 10 injured on the Star Ballroom Dance Studio remains to be at giant. Luna says the weapon obtained by police “was not an assault rifle.” “We believe that there’s an incident that may be related,” Luna mentioned of the confrontation in Alhambra. “We’re not quire there yet, but it’s definitely on our radar screen.” A gunman opened fireplace at a Los Angeles-area ballroom dance studio following a Lunar New Year celebration, killing 10 folks and setting off a manhunt for the suspect within the nation’s fifth mass killing this month.

Another 10 folks had been wounded and had been taken to hospitals, the place their situations ranged from secure to crucial, Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department mentioned Sunday.

The scene unfolded late Saturday in Monterey Park, a metropolis of about 60,000 folks on the japanese fringe of Los Angeles that’s composed largely of Asian immigrants from China or first-generation Asian Americans.

When officers arrived on the studio round 10:30 pm, folks had been “pouring out of the location screaming,” Meyer mentioned. He mentioned officers then went into the ballroom and located victims as firefighters handled the wounded.

Meyer gave no description of the male suspect or the weapon he used and provided no clarification for why police gave no info on the capturing for hours whereas the assailant apparently remained on the run.

He mentioned it was too early within the investigation to know if the gunman knew anybody on the ballroom or if it was a hate crime.

“We will look at every angle,” Meyer mentioned.

The capturing occurred within the coronary heart of downtown Monterey Park the place purple lanterns adorned the streets for the Lunar New Year festivities. A police automobile was parked close to a big banner that proclaimed “Happy Year of the Rabbit!” The celebration in Monterey Park is certainly one of California’s largest and had attracted tens of hundreds all through the day.

Two days of festivities, which have been attended by as many as 100,000 folks in previous years, had been deliberate. But officers cancelled Sunday’s occasions following the capturing.

Tony Lai, 35, of Monterey Park was surprised when he got here out for his early morning stroll to study that the noises he heard within the night time had been gunshots.

“I thought maybe it was fireworks. I thought maybe it had something to do with Lunar New Year,” he mentioned. “And we don’t even get a lot of fireworks here. It’s weird to see this. It’s really safe here. We’re right in the middle of the city, but it’s really safe.” The tragedy marked not simply the fifth mass killing within the US for the reason that begin of the 12 months but in addition the deadliest since May 24, when 21 folks had been killed in a college in Uvalde, Texas, in response to The Associated Press/USA Today database on mass killings within the US.

The database additionally exhibits that 2022 was additionally one of many nation’s worst years when it comes to mass killings, with 42 such assaults — the second-highest quantity for the reason that creation of the tracker in 2006. The database defines a mass killing as 4 folks killed not together with the perpetrator.

The newest violence comes two months after 5 folks had been killed at a Colorado Springs nightclub.

The White House mentioned President Joe Biden was briefed on the state of affairs by Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall.

Attorney General Merrick Garland was additionally briefed, Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson mentioned.

The capturing occurred at Star Ballroom Dance Studio, a couple of blocks from metropolis corridor on Monterey Park’s essential thoroughfare of Garvey Avenue, which is dotted with strip malls of small companies whose indicators are in each English and Chinese. Cantonese and Mandarin are each broadly spoken, Chinese holidays are celebrated, and Chinese movies are screened recurrently within the metropolis.

The enterprise provided dance classes from Tango to Rumba to the Fox Trot, and rented its area for occasions. On Saturday, its web site mentioned it was internet hosting an occasion referred to as “Star Night” from 8 pm to 11:30 pm. Seung Won Choi, who owns the Clam House seafood barbecue restaurant throughout the road from the place the capturing occurred, informed The Los Angeles Times that three folks rushed into his enterprise and informed him to lock the door.

The folks mentioned to Choi that there was a shooter with a gun who had a number of rounds of ammunition on him. Wong Wei, who lives close by, informed The Los Angeles Times that his good friend was in a rest room on the dance studio when the capturing began. When she got here out, he mentioned, she noticed a gunman and three our bodies.

The good friend then fled to Wei’s house at round 11 pm, he mentioned, including that his buddies informed him that the shooter appeared to fireplace indiscriminately with an extended gun.

Police had been investigating one other incident within the close by metropolis of Alhambra, the place an identical enterprise, the Lai Lai Ballroom, had police tape throughout its entrance door and an officer guarding it.

Detectives may very well be seen working close to the open again door, the place a girl carrying gloves was fastidiously inspecting the door deal with as if checking for prints.

Officials gave no particulars on what had occurred and it was unclear whether or not the incident was linked to the Monterey Park capturing.

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