The shooting erupted in a California city on Saturday night as thousands of people gathered to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The alleged perpetrator is still at large, according to police.
At least 10 people died in a shooting that took place around 10 p.m. local time (7 a.m. French time) Saturday night in Monterey Park, a city about six miles east of Los Angeles in the United States, on the outskirts of Chinese New Years celebrations, according to law enforcement officials. The suspected shooter is still at large, police said.
A large Asian community
Special investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office are “assisting the Monterey Park Police Department in their investigation into a fatal shooting,” the statement said.
The City News Service press agency had previously reported deaths and injuries in this southern California city, which is inhabited by a large Asian community, citing the authorities.
The suspected shooter is a man, a statement said. “The suspect fled the scene and is nowhere to be found,” Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office Capt. Andrew Meyer told reporters in Monterey Park.
A crowd gathered
The owner of a restaurant across the street from the alleged crime scene told the Los Angeles Times that he saw an armed man armed with a large supply of ammunition. Three people came to seek refuge at his facility.
A resident of the city told American media that a friend of hers was at the club and in the bathroom when the shots rang out. When she came out, she saw an armed man and three bodies: two women and a person identified as the club boss.
According to the first testimonies and videos circulated on social networks, the shooting took place on an outdoor dance floor.
According to the Los Angeles Times, tens of thousands of people had previously gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The City News Service reports that the shooting happened about an hour after the end of a party organized to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Juliette Desmonceaux with AFP