Breaking: Monterey Park shooting suspect dead, motive still unknown.

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9:15 a.m. Update: In a 9 a.m. press conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said a male Asian has been identified, and while no motive had been established, he believed the shooting may have been a hate crime.

“Everything is on the table. We don’t know if this is specifically a ‘hate crime’ defined by law, but who goes into a dance hall and guns down 20 people?” Luna said. “The description we have now is of a male Asian. Does that matter? I don’t know. I can tell you they everything’s on the table.”

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis also spoke at the press conference, speaking of the shooting as if it were a hate crime, calling it a problem that “must be confronted.”

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3:50 a.m. Update: In a press conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Capt. Andrew Meyer said there were 10 deaths and at least 10 others wounded. Those wounded were transported to local hospitals in conditions ranging from stable to critical. 

Meyer also revealed the location where the shooting occurred was a ballroom dance studio. 

“When officers arrived on scene, they observed numerous individuals, patrons of the location, pouring out of the location, screaming,” Meyer said. “The officers made entry to the location and located additional victims.”

The suspect is still at large and no motive has been identified.

The second day of planned Lunar New Year festivities have also been canceled in Monterey Park.

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3:06 a.m. Update: The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed nine deaths occurred due to a shooting in Monterey Park.

According to LASD Homicide Bureau Lt. Patricia Thomas, that is the only available information from the department, as of this update.

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Original Report:

Monterey Park Police Dept. responded to a mass shooting at the site of a Lunar New Year festival, leaving at least 10 dead and 6 others injured, Saturday.

Police found the shooting victims at 122 Garvey Ave., in Monterey Park at approximately 10:22 p.m., according to LASD, with the festival having been concluded.

LASD, Monterey Park PD and Alhambra PD were the two agencies on site, investigating the shooting and asking local residents to remain in their homes as the suspect, or suspects are still at large.

The Lunar New Year “Tu-gether” festival took place on Garvey Ave., with the street closed off for the event between 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Earlier in the day, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis joined the city for the celebration, noting that Monterey Park had the largest percentage of Asian American and Pacific Islander population in the U.S.

“Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones tonight in our neighboring city, Monterey Park, where a mass shooting just occurred,” Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia said in a statement. “Monterey Park is home to one of the largest Asian communities in Los Angeles County and many were out celebrating the Lunar New Year.”


This post will be updated when further information becomes available.

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