Monterey Park Massacre: Huu Can Tran 'taught dance almost every night' at spot where he killed 10 people
MONTEREY PARK, CALIFORNIA: Huu Can Tran, the person behind the mass shooting was previously a dancer at the studio where he murdered 10 people during festivities for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Tran, 72, taught at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio almost every night in the early 2000s when he lived nearby in the San Gabriel Valley, five minutes away.
Tran's friend, who was close to the shooter from about the early 2010s, stated that he was "hostile to a lot of people" at the studio and he thought they were saying "evil things about him," as per CNN. Additionally, Tran's ex-wife revealed that she first met him at a dance lesson, and it did not take long for them to get hitched. In the tragedy that occurred on Saturday, January 23, five men and five women died, and another 10 people were injured. Tran died on Sunday, January 24, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound during a confrontation with the police.
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CNN-obtained records showed that between 2002 and 2004, Tran registered a business called Tran's Trucking Inc., in addition to giving dance lessons almost five times a week. It's unclear when Tran ceased giving lessons at the studio, but he moved to Hemet in 2013 after spending around 20 years in Los Angeles.
Tran's friend had fallen out of touch around the time of his relocation to Hemet and was horrified to hear of the massacre. The friend also recalled the septuagenarian as being easily enraged and untrusting of others. Tran's ex-wife, whose identity is kept secret, claimed she was married to the shooter for only a brief period of time before he requested a divorce in 2005.
Robert Luna, the Los Angeles County Sheriff, identified Tran as the suspect on Sunday, January 24, adding the motive was unclear. Police managed to track down Tran, who was in possession of a semi-automatic weapon with an extended magazine. The van where his body was discovered also contained a second weapon, according to Luna.
Asian-American communities in the LA area experienced a wave of panic following the massacre, and Lunar New Year celebrations all throughout the country were adversely affected. To keep an eye on the festivities, other cities sent more police.