Victims’ pictures were displayed at a candlelight vigil at the growing memorial outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, where a deadly mass shooting took place on January 25, 2023. The 72-year-old gunman, Huu Can Tran, had no known connection with the victims, and investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the massacre. Before the shooting, Tran parked a motorcycle just a block away from the ballroom, which investigators believe he had planned to use as a backup getaway vehicle, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a news conference. Tran opened fire on a mostly elderly crowd of dancers, killing 11 people and wounding nine, police said. Tran’s motive continued to elude detectives as they searched piles of items and paperwork seized from Tran’s home and a van he used to flee. The shooting sent ripples of fear through Asian American communities already dealing with increased hatred and violence toward them.
“We have not been able to establish a connection between the suspect and any of the victims thus far,” Luna said. Luna said it wasn’t clear how long Tran had been planning the attack in the city or what prompted him to spray at least 42 bullets. Tran’s only known criminal history was a 1990 arrest for unlawful possession of a firearm, but there was no indication of a conviction. Police recovered three firearms, the gun used in the attack, another in the suspect’s van, and a rifle at the suspect’s home in Hemet, CA. Tran used a registered semiautomatic handgun when he died by suicide, and a registered bolt-action rifle was found at his home.
Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese defended his decision not to warn the public for hours that a killer was on the loose, saying he did not have enough information at the time to effectively alert residents. The shooting occurred just an hour or so after tens of thousands of people attended Lunar New Year festivities in the city. The public was not notified of the mass shooting for five hours, raising questions about why an alert wasn’t sent to people in the area. “It’s hard for us because it’s a part of my life,” said Marlene Xu, who danced at the studio four times a week.
Vice President Kamala Harris visited the memorial and talked to relatives of the victims, adding her own bouquet, before calling for Congress to enact stricter gun control laws. Pope Francis was among those offering condolences, saying in a message to the Los Angeles archbishop that he “implores the divine gifts of healing and consolation upon the injured and bereaved.”