assault pistol
The latter, of Asian origin and 72 years old, was identified as Huu Can Tran. He was the only suspect in the shooting, Luna said, adding that the motive for the attack in Monterey Park on Lunar New Year’s Day was not yet known and an investigation was ongoing. After having made 10 victims, most of whom were aged around 50 to 60, the alleged shooter had gone to another nearby dance hall, but was disarmed there by two people, before fleeing.
The weapon found is not an assault rifle but “a semi-automatic assault pistol with a magazine […] to which was attached a high-capacity long-life magazine,” Sheriff Luna detailed on Sunday.
Responding to the first emergency calls on Saturday at 10.20 p.m. (6.20 a.m. GMT Sunday), the police found 10 dead people in the dance hall, five women and five men. At least 10 other injured people were later hospitalized in “stable to critical” condition. According to CCTV footage, the shooter was an Asian male wearing a beanie and wearing glasses.
The hunt for the suspect, covered live by several media outlets, ended in Torrance, about 45 kilometers from Monterey Park, with law enforcement eventually locating his vehicle. Police officers then approached with great caution and entered, discovering a lifeless body in front.
Flags at half mast
In the wake of the latest police announcements, United States President Joe Biden has ordered flags adorning public buildings to be lowered to half-mast.
“While there is still a lot we don’t know about the motive for this senseless attack, we know that many families are grieving tonight, or praying for their loved one to recover from their injuries. Mr. Biden in a statement.
It is the deadliest shooting in the country since a gunman killed 22 people in May at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
The United States pays a very heavy price for the dissemination of firearms on its territory and the ease with which Americans have access to them.
This same Saturday evening, in Louisiana, in the south-east of the country, 12 people were wounded by bullets in a nightclub, according to local media. Another illustration that no place in American daily life seems immune.
