Shooting Suspect Reportedly Found Dead

(VitalNews.org) – Police in Los Angeles responded on January 21 to details of a shooting at Star Ballroom Dance. When officers arrived at the scene, they found 10 people dead and 10 others wounded. A report of a man with a gun walking into another dance hall, where people were celebrating the Chinese New Year, came in shortly afterward. In that case, a couple of civilians disarmed the suspect, and he fled in a white van.

Authorities located the vehicle in Torrance the next day with the suspect inside — 72-year-old Huu Can Tran. A few hours after locating the van, the SWAT team surrounded the suspect, but it was too late to capture him. Tran was reportedly dead from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound. The motive behind his alleged attack is still unknown.

Authorities searched for a motive for the gunman who killed 10 people at a Los Angeles-area ballroom dance club during Lunar New Year celebrations, slayings that sent a wave of fear through Asian American communities. https://t.co/ZybREQI71D

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) January 23, 2023

CBS News relayed Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna’s statement about the incident. The officer said they found a handgun inside the van and recovered a magazine-fed semi-automatic assault pistol at the second scene. Investigators told the news outlet that ballistic experts were looking at the firearms and ammunition to determine whether either was the murder weapon.

The victims included five men and five women inside the ballroom studio, which was hosting a special event that evening. It was part of a larger annual new year’s celebration in Monterey Park. Newsmax reported that in recent years, these events have been attended by up to 100,000 people.

The area is home to a large Asian community, but police have not yet determined if the shooting would be considered a hate crime. President Joe Biden released a statement ordering the US flag to be flown at half-mast in honor of the victims. The president noted on Twitter that he and the First Lady were praying for those affected by the tragedy.