The mayor of the California town where suspected shooter Huu Can Tran killed 10 people during a mass shooting at a ballroom dance club during Lunar New Year celebrations said Monday the shooter “may have had a history of visiting this ballroom and maybe the motivation has to do with some personal relationships.”
Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo spoke to NBC’s “Today” show less than 48 hours after police say Tran opened fire at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio Saturday night, killing five women, five men and wounding 10 others. Tran was found dead Sunday in Torrance of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a white pickup truck that authorities say he used to flee the scene.
“At this time we are still trying to determine the motive behind the shooting, we understand that he may have had a history of visiting this ballroom and perhaps the motivation has to do with some personal relationships, but that is something investigators are still investigating.” discovering — and investigating,” Lo said. “We’ll probably find out more in the next few hours, or even the next few days.”
Tran was carrying what Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna described as a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, and a second pistol was discovered in the van where Tran died.
MASS SHOOTING IN CALIFORNIA: WHO IS SUSPECTED OF HUU CAN TRAN?
Huu Can Tran, 72, was discovered dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
(Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)
Around 20 to 30 minutes after the first attack, Tran entered the Lai Lai dance hall in the nearby city of Alhambra. But, Luna said, two people took the semi-automatic weapon from him.
CALIFORNIA MASS SHOOTING SUSPECT FOUND DEAD IN VAN
Researchers are seen outside the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, on Sunday, January 22.
(AP/Damián Dovarganes)
“We are still waiting for the investigation to yield answers as to how this illegal weapon was obtained,” Lo also told NBC on Monday, noting that he has not yet had a chance to speak with the victims as police have not released the information. their names yet.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT:
Tran was found dead in a pickup truck Sunday in Torrance from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Here, a body is seen in the driver’s side of the van as authorities investigate.
(AP/Damián Dovarganes)
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Speaking at a press conference Sunday night, Luna said he did not have the exact ages, but all the people killed appeared to be in their 50s.
The Star Ballroom Dance Studio website said it would host an event on Saturday called “Star Night” from 8 pm to 11:30 pm for small businesses whose banners are in both English and Chinese. Cantonese and Mandarin are widely spoken, Chinese holidays are celebrated, and Chinese movies are shown regularly in the city.
Landon Mion of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
