Ten people have been killed during a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, east of Los Angeles.
The gunman reportedly opened fire at a dance studio on Saturday night local time.
At the time of writing, the suspect still remains at large. Authorities have published photos of him online.
What happened?
According to authorities, at approximately 10:20pm on Saturday night, officers were called to the scene of an incident where they “observed numerous victims and patrons in the business’ parking lot”.
Ten people were killed in the shooting, with at least another ten taken to hospital. Authorities are investigating another incident, where an armed person entered a dance hall but had their weapon “wrestled” away. Police have not yet confirmed if the two incidents are connected.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told a press conference “we’re looking at every angle, whether it’s domestic violence, the question was asked earlier about a hate crime.”
U.S. President Joe Biden said he and his wife Jill were “praying for those killed and injured” in the attack.
Former Alhambra Mayor Sasha Renée Pérez wrote on Twitter: “To have this tragedy occur on Lunar New Year weekend, makes this especially painful. Monterey Park is home to one of the largest #AAPI [Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders] communities in the country. This is a time when residents should be celebrating with family, friends and loved ones – not fearing gun violence.”
