Of:
Johanna Sundbeck,
Annica Ögren,
Nora Fernstedt,
John Edgar
Published: Yesterday 08.51
Updated: Today 07.32
NEWS
At least ten people were murdered during the dance night in California.
Suspected killer Huu Can Tran, 72, shot himself as police approached.
During a dramatic operation against a white van, he was found dead.
The dramatic manhunt for the man who murdered ten people celebrating the Chinese New Year ended in a parking lot in the city of Torrance in Los Angeles.
Police confirmed overnight that the man found dead in a white van is the suspected killer.
72-year-old murderer
He was identified by police as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran.
The man had shot himself when the police task force approached.
It was just before 10:30 p.m. local time on Saturday night that a man opened fire in the dance hall Star Ballroom Dance Studio in the city of Monterey Park, about 11 kilometers east of downtown Los Angeles in California.
During a press conference a few hours after the shooting, Los Angeles Police Chief Robert Luna confirmed that at least ten people were killed in the shooting, five women and five men.
Seven more people were still being treated in hospital late Sunday night.
- It's everything from critical to stable cases, says Andrew Meyer, head of the Los Angeles police homicide squad.
The shooting took place during the celebration of the Year of the Rabbit. Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP
Monterey Park has about 60,000 residents – a large portion of them of Asian background. The mass shooting occurred during the annual festival to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Witnesses tell BNO News that many initially thought the bangs they heard were fireworks.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, thousands of people were in the area when the shooting occurred. According to the BBC, there were as many as 100,000 in attendance for the celebration.
The police on the scene. Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP
Man with rifle fled the scene
According to the police in Los Angeles, it is believed that it is a lone perpetrator who opened fire.
According to witnesses, he was armed with a semi-automatic rifle.
During a press conference, the police said that they have seized a rifle that could be the murder weapon.
- Someone then took the weapon from him. The person then ran from the scene, Police Chief Robert Luna said.
During the night, the police chief paid tribute to the people who disarmed the killer and said that they had averted an even worse massacre.
The police are investigating the scene. Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP
Two police officers stand guard at the scene of the shooting. Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP
The motive for the mass shooting is still unknown.
On Sunday evening, Swedish time, the police released a picture of the suspect.
At the same time, a large police operation was underway in Torrance in Los Angeles.
Sources tell CNN that the police tried to stop a white van that would have been of interest in the investigation after the shooting.
Police photos of the man suspected of the mass shooting. Photo: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
When the police ordered the driver to leave the car, they reportedly heard gunshots from inside the car - and suspect that the driver shot himself.
The van was surrounded and the bomb squad was sent there.
Heavily armed police stormed two vans during the raid. A large area is cordoned off. The bomb squad is also on site. Photo: AP
Photo: AP
Photo: AP
The suspected perpetrator. Photo: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Facts
Chinese New Year: Year of the Water Rabbit
There are twelve animals in the Chinese calendar, which give their names to the years in a twelve-year cycle in which the rat is first.
Each animal is also connected to one of the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth).
This gives a total of 60 different combinations, i.e. a 60-year cycle.
The year 2023 is the year of the water rabbit.
The rabbit is considered to symbolize hope, peace and harmony.
Source: The National Encyclopedia
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