Witnesses to the mass shooting during a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, California, told Saturday night how the victims fled the scene to neighboring restaurants seeking shelter as the suspect shot people indiscriminately.
“This is [supposed to be] a happy moment,” Edwin Chen, who grew up in Monterey Park and rushed to the scene upon learning of the shooting, told the Los Angeles Times. “I want to find out as much as possible. It’s still impressive.”
Capt. Drew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau confirmed Sunday that 10 people were killed and at least 10 others were injured and taken to local hospitals. The shooting took place on West Garvey Avenue around 10:22 p.m., according to authorities.
The suspect, who has only been described as a male, fled the scene after the shooting and is still at large. No motive is known as of Sunday morning.
MASS SHOT IN CALIFORNIA LEAVES AT LEAST 10 DEAD AND OTHERS INJURED AT THE LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL; SUSPECT IN GENERAL
A police vehicle is seen near a scene where a shooting occurred in Monterey Park, California, on Sunday, January 22, 2023. Dozens of police officers responded to reports of a shooting that occurred after a large Lunar New Year celebration had finished in a community east of Los Angeles on Saturday night.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Monterey Park is located about 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles and has an approximately 65% Asian-American population, the LA Times reported. It’s unclear if the victims were targeted and it was too early to say if it was a hate crime, according to Meyer.
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“We’ll look at all the angles,” Meyer said.
Two police officers stand guard near a scene where a shooting occurred in Monterey Park, California, on Sunday, January 22, 2023. Dozens of police officers responded to reports of a shooting that occurred after a large Lunar New Year celebration had ended. in a community east of Los Angeles on Saturday night.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Witness Seung Won Choi, the owner of a seafood restaurant near the shooting, told the Los Angeles Times that three people ran into his restaurant during the shooting and told him to lock the door.
The people allegedly told Choi that the suspect was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and had several rounds of ammunition to reload the weapon. Police have not confirmed what type of weapon the suspect used during the massacre.
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Another man told the outlet that his friend was in the bathroom of the dance club when the shots rang out before 10:30 p.m. Wong Wei said that his friend told him that he came out of the bathroom and saw the bodies of two women and a man. , described as the boss. from the club he managed to escape from the club around 11 pm according to Wei.
Police investigate a scene where a shooting occurred in Monterey Park, California on Sunday, January 22, 2023. Dozens of police officers responded to reports of a shooting that occurred after a large Lunar New Year celebration ended in a community at east Los Angeles on Saturday night.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Wei said he was told the shooter was firing indiscriminately into the crowd with a long gun, according to the LA Times.
“They don’t know why, so they run away,” he said.
A police officer stands near a scene where a shooting occurred in Monterey Park, California on Sunday, January 22, 2023. Dozens of police officers responded to reports of a shooting that occurred after a large New Year’s Eve celebration Nuevo Lunar ended up in a community east of Los Angeles on Saturday night.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Another local man, identified only as John, said he heard four or five shots after 10 p.m. and then heard police vehicles “crashing” down the street. He left his apartment around 11:20 a.m. to see if the shooting took place near the Lunar New Year festival.
“My first concern was that I know they are celebrating Lunar New Year,” he told the Times. He watched the festival clean up for the day and saw a person being carried on a stretcher at the scene of the shooting. He also saw a person with a bandage on their arm, according to the outlet.
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Officials said the moon festival scheduled for Sunday at Monterey Park was canceled “out of an abundance of caution.”
Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Lawrence Richard and Stephen Sorace of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
