Who is Huu Can Tran's ex-wife? Monterey Park suspect's ex-partner says he used to get angry very fast
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 in Monterey Park. Tran had once been a regular attendee at the dance studio and had met his ex-wife there. However, it is unclear how frequently he visited the dance hall in recent times.
"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.
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Who is Huu Can Tran's ex-wife?
Tran's ex-wife, who wished to remain anonymous, said in an interview that she met him two decades ago at Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where he used to give informal lessons. When Tran saw her dance, he introduced himself and offered to give her free lessons, CNN reported. The two got married shortly after.
Tran was reportedly never violent to his wife, but she said he would become angry very quickly. Citing an example, she said if she missed a step while dancing, he would become upset assuming it made him look bad. After living together for many years, she thought he had lost interest in her, and Tran filed for a divorce in late 2005. As per Los Angeles court records, a judge approved the divorce in 2006. A copy of his marriage license showed he was an immigrant from China. Tran's ex-wife said he would work as a truck driver at times.
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. 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.