Cops say Huu Can Tran 'intended to kill more' after Monterey Park Massacre
MONTEREY PARK, CALIFORNIA: Huu Can Tran, 72, opened fire at a dance studio on Saturday night, January 21, killing 10 people and injuring at least 10 others. He was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police standoff. The motive for the attack in Monterey Park remains unclear.
"He intended to kill more people," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a news conference. "They saved lives," he said, speaking of the patrons. "This could've been much worse." Tran was reportedly carrying what has been described as a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine. A second handgun was also recovered.
READ MORE
Who is Chester Chong? Community leader reveals possible motive behind Monterey Park mass shooting
Monterey Massacre: Cops believe Huu Can Tran hit Alhambra after Monterey Park shooting
How was Huu Can Tran caught?
Following the Monterey Park shooting, police released pictures of Tran on Twitter, captioning it, "On Saturday January 21, 2023 at 10:22 PM the suspect male/adult/Asian pictured above was involved in a shooting. Investigators have identified him as a Homicide suspect and he should be considered armed and dangerous. Contact LASD Homicide with any information at 323-890-5000."
On Saturday January 21, 2023 at 10:22 PM the suspect male/adult/Asian pictured above was involved in a shooting. Investigators have identified him as a Homicide suspect and he should be considered armed and dangerous.
— Robert Luna (@LACoSheriff) January 22, 2023
Contact LASD Homicide with any information at 323-890-5000. pic.twitter.com/2gPUBBybvv
SWAT officers were involved in an hours-long standoff at the scene of a white cargo van before Tran died. Authorities asked the occupant to leave the van and heard a sound shortly after as he shot himself dead.
The Monterey Park shooting
The shooting took place at around 10.22 pm at a dance studio near a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, California, the sheriff's department said. "Officers from the Monterey Park Police Department responded to a local business in the 100 block of West Garvey Avenue in the city of Monterey Park regarding a shots fired call," Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had said after the shooting.
"When officers arrived on scene, they observed numerous individuals, patrons of the location pouring out of the location, screaming," he added. "The officers made entry to the location and located additional victims."
Investigators searched the van after Tran was found dead and reportedly discovered “several pieces of evidence” to link him to the Monterey Park shooting and also an incident in Alhambra where bystanders had wrestled a gun away from a man at a dance hall less than 20 minutes after the massacre. A handgun was also found inside the van. Cops are now working to determine a motive behind the attack.
Among the victims are five women and five men, but none of them has been identified yet. A two-day Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival which was supposed to take place this week has been canceled.