Monterey Park mayor Henry Lo kneels at a makeshift memorial outside the scene of a deadly mass shooting at a ballroom dance studio on January 23, 2023 in Monterey Park, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images Elected officials and Jewish groups have issued statements condemning the shooting in Monterey Park on January 21 and mourning the victims.
The shooting occurred at 10:22 p.m. at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio during a celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Celebrations for January 22 were canceled following the shooting. The shooting has resulted in 11 dead and nine wounded; two of the victims have been identified as My Nhan, 65, and Lilan Li, 63.
Authorities have identified the suspected gunman as Huu Can Tran, 72, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van after being surrounded by SWAT forces in Torrance. Law enforcement found evidence in the van connecting Tran to the Monterey Park shooting as well as to an incident in Alhambra where an armed man entered a separate dance studio but had the gun wrangled away from him by Brandon Tsay, 26, whose family runs the studio.
Tsay told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that he saw the gunman “looking for targets” and that “something came over me” to force the gun out of his hands. After a struggle, Tsay succeeded and pointed the gun at the suspect, telling him to leave or he would shoot.
Authorities still do not know the motive behind the Monterey Park shooting and Alhambra incident. Community leader Chester Chong told ABC7 that he believes the shooting was the result of a domestic dispute; however, ABC7 noted that Chong’s statement has yet to be corroborated by law enforcement, who have yet to provide a motive.
Elected officials nationally and in California issued statements.
“Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in last night’s deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park,” President Joe Biden tweeted. “I’m monitoring this situation closely as it develops, and urge the community to follow guidance from local officials and law enforcement in the hours ahead.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted, “Monterey Park should have had a night of joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year. Instead, they were the victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence. Our hearts mourn as we learn more about the devastating acts of last night. We are monitoring the situation closely.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the shooting “absolutely devastating … Families deserve to celebrate the holidays in peace — mass shootings and gun violence are a plague on our communities. As investigations determine whether these acts were motivated by Asian hate, we continue to stand united against all attempts to divide us. My heart goes out to Monterey Park and the families and friends of those lost.”
Representative Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) tweeted that the shooting was “heartbreaking” and that “the deadly deregulation of guns in America remains a clear and present threat to the public safety of every American.”
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted, “I’m horrified to learn about the tragic shooting in #MontereyPark. My heart breaks for the #AAPI community and all in LA area. @ADL is actively monitoring the situation and will offer whatever we can to our allies.”
The American Jewish Committee said in a statement, “American Jewish Committee is horrified that the celebration of the Lunar New Year was punctured by this senseless tragedy in Monterey Park. While the motive for the shootings remains unclear, our hearts go out to our friends and allies in Southern California’s Asian community.”
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of those murdered at a peaceful Lunar New Year celebration in the San Gabriel Valley. We are reaching out to our partner organizations in the AAPI communities to lend our full support.“ – Jewish Federation of Greater LA
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles also said in a statement, “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of those murdered at a peaceful Lunar New Year celebration in the San Gabriel Valley. We are reaching out to our partner organizations in the AAPI communities to lend our full support. Gun violence has no place in a civilized and moral society and continues to be a devastating plague upon this country. May the memory of those lives lost forever be a blessing.”
The California Legislative Jewish Caucus tweeted, “Our hearts are with our dear friends in the [California Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus], all those impacted by the horrific mass shooting in Monterey Park, and the entire AAPI community at this difficult moment.”
ADL Los Angeles Regional Director Jeffrey I. Abrams also issued a statement showing solidarity with the AAPI community. “ADL, both locally and nationally, spent the day actively reaching out to our partners and friends in the AAPI community and elected officials of all levels in the area,” he said. “We also worked closely with law enforcement, ranging from local police to the FBI – and are grateful for their swift action and keeping the community well-informed throughout the aftermath of this horrific mass killing.”
He added: “At the moment, we do not see any connection to extremist activity, but rest assured that our Center on Extremism will continue to monitor and analyze this matter. While we do not yet know the motive, the trauma of this tragedy amid record numbers of hate against the AAPI and other marginalized communities is very real.”
Jewish on Campus tweeted, “Jewish on Campus is heartbroken to learn of the deadly shooting at Monterey Park, Los Angeles, during a Lunar New Year celebration. We mourn the tragic loss of lives and stand strongly with the AAPI community. May the memories of the victims be a blessing.”
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