11 killed, 9 injured in shooting at Los Angeles ballroom dance studio, sheriff says
A shooting inside a Los Angeles dance parlor killed 11 people and injured at least 9 more on Lunar New Year’s Eve, California authorities told news outlets.
A gunman opened fire at a Monterey Park ballroom dancing studio at 10:22 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials told the Los Angeles Times.
“When officers arrived on scene, they observed numerous individuals, patrons ... pouring out of the location, screaming,” Capt. Andrew Meyer told the publication.
At least 10 people were pronounced dead at the scene and 10 more were taken to hospitals, according to KNBC.
One of the injured later died, bringing the death toll to 11, the Orange County News reported Monday, Jan. 23.
On Sunday, Jan. 22, the sheriff’s office released a bulletin identifying the suspect as an Asian man as police in armored vehicles surrounded a white van in Torrance that is believed to be connected to the shooting.
A tactical team entered the van by smashing the passenger side window at about 1 p.m., video from the scene showed. The armored vehicles left at about 1:20 p.m., but a heavy police presence remained. There was no immediate word from authorities on what was discovered.
The suspected gunman was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, sheriff’s officials said.
The shooting took place after a Lunar New Year celebration in the community that attracted tens of thousands of people.
“To have this tragedy occur on Lunar New Year weekend, makes this especially painful,” said Sasha Renée Pérez, a member of the nearby Alhambra City Council, on Twitter. “This is a time when residents should be celebrating with family, friends and loved ones - not fearing gun violence.”
“Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in last night’s deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park,” President Joe Biden said on Twitter, noting he is monitoring the situation closely.
The shooting may be connected to another incident in nearby Alhambra, sheriff’s officials told KABC.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news briefing that a man walked into a dance hall in Alhambra and began shooting before being disarmed by patrons, CBS News reported.
A USA Today database shows the incident is the fifth mass shooting in the United States in January 2023 and the deadliest since 23 people were killed in a Uvalde, Texas, school shooting.
Monterey Park, population 61,000, is a predominantly Asian community, the station reported. It’s about 8 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
Sheriff’s officials ask anyone with information to call 323-890-5500 or leave an anonymous tip at 800-222-8477.
This story was originally published January 22, 2023 at 9:45 AM with the headline "11 killed, 9 injured in shooting at Los Angeles ballroom dance studio, sheriff says."