Jan. 24, 2023

SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Monterey Residents are horrified after a mass shooting occurred in Monterey park during Lunar New Year on Jan. 21, 2023. The aftermath was disastrous, leaving many people injured and killed.

Everyone was celebrating the Lunar New Year on a Saturday night, and nobody foresaw that something terrible would occur on such a lucky day.

Thousands of people visited the region for the two-day Lunar New Year festival that was taking place in Monterey Park. Many relatives celebrated with their loved ones before fleeing the incident scene. Before the shooting, the majority of the park’s visitors had left to celebrate with their friends and families at home.

At Monterey Park Dance Hall in the Los Angeles region, shots were fired. When the shooting occurred, many locals fled in fear. The majority of civilians had avoided harm, but some were not so fortunate. At least 10 fatalities and 10 injuries occurred at the location.

Police on the scene of the shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio (Credits – Wikipedia)

At 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, when the police arrived at the crime site, they heard screaming coming from the dance studio. Along with additional fatalities in the dancing studio, some victims were discovered in the parking lot.

“The victims that were wounded were taken to local hospitals, in which some were still in critical condition on Sunday morning. The victims were identified to be 5 women and 5 men between the ages of 50 and 60,” LA County Sheriff Robert Luna informed.

The Monterey Park Festival, the largest Lunar New Year celebration in Southern California, opted to postpone its activities on Sunday.

Later that morning, security photos released by crime scene investigators identified the man wanted in connection with the shooting. Huu Can Tran, the perpetrator’s name, was 72 years old. Tran was discovered dead in his van after committing suicide with a bullet to the head just before police could detain him and question him about why he did what he did.

The families of the deceased victims are mourning the death of their loved ones.

This mass shooting occurred an hour away from San Jose, which is not to be taken lightly because the mass shooting occurred near San Jose residents and schools. Only a month into the new year, many tragedies had already occurred. With the increased frequency of shootings this year, San Jose residents are reminded to be vigilant and to report anyone suspicious or threatening a specific area.

Felix Nguyen, a sophomore, exclaims, “I hope these types of events won’t happen near our school district. The thought of the shooting happening just an hour away is very frightening.”