At least 10 killed in shooting after Lunar New Year celebration near LA
(Update: upgrades death toll, adds info, police statement)
Los Angeles, USA, Jan 22 (EFE).- At least 10 people were killed and 10 others were injured in a shooting at a dance ballroom near Los Angeles on Saturday night, police said.
The shooting in Monterey Park, a city about 13 kilometers (8 miles) east of LA, occurred at about 10:20 pm, according to an advisory issued by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
“When officers arrived on the scene they observed numerous individuals, patrons (…) pouring out of the location screaming. The officers made entry to the location, and located additional victims,” LASD Captain Andrew Meyer told reporters.
“The Monterey Park fire department responded to the scene and treated the injured, and pronounced 10 of the victims deceased at the scene,” he said, adding that “there are at least 10 additional victims that were transported to numerous local hospitals that are listed in various conditions from stable to critical.”
The suspect “fled the scene and remains outstanding,” Meyer said, pointing out that it was “too early in the investigation to know what the motive is” or what kind of firearm was used.
Meyer said police were unable to provide a description of the alleged shooter, although the earlier advisory said they were searching for a male suspect.
He also said police were investigating whether another incident in nearby Alhambra was connected to the Monterey Park shooting.
Various law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation, Meyer said.
The shooting took place shortly after hundreds of people had attended a Lunar New Year celebration in the area that reportedly ended at around 9pm.
Police said the celebration, which was due to continue on Sunday, had been canceled “out of an abundance of caution and reverence for the victims.”
Monterey Park is home to just over 60,000 people and has a large Asian population. EFE
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