The suspect in the shooting that killed 10 people Saturday night in a Californian dance hall was found dead after committing suicide in a white van after a chase with the police, the local sheriff announced on Sunday.
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“The suspect suffered gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene”explained the sheriff Robert Luna, who described a manhunt concluded by a shot fired from inside the white van of the man, who therefore apparently committed suicide.
The motive for the attack still unknown
The latter, of Asian origin and 72 years old, was identified as Huu Can Tran. He was the only suspect in the shooting, said Robert Luna, adding that the motive for the attack, which occurred in Monterey Park on Lunar New Year’s Day, was not yet known and that an investigation was underway.
After having made 10 victims, most of whom were aged around 50 to 60, the alleged shooter had gone to another nearby dance hall, but was disarmed there by two people, before fleeing.
The weapon found is not an assault rifle but “a magazine-loaded semi-automatic assault pistol (…) to which was attached a high-capacity long-life magazine”Sheriff Luna detailed on Sunday.
Man chased for 45 kilometers
The hunt for the suspect, covered live by several media outlets, ended in Torrance, about 45 kilometers from Monterey Park, with law enforcement eventually locating his vehicle. Police then approached with great caution and entered. On images from AFP, we see a lifeless body in front.
In the wake of the latest police announcements, United States President Joe Biden has ordered flags adorning public buildings to be lowered to half-mast. “While there is still much we don’t know about the motive for this senseless attack, we know that many families are grieving tonight, or praying for their loved one to recover from their injuries.”responded the head of state in a statement.
It is the deadliest shooting in the country since a gunman killed 22 people in May at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Shocked and in disbelief
Responding to the first emergency calls on Saturday at 10:20 p.m. (7:20 a.m. Sunday, Paris time), the police found 10 dead people in the dance hall, five women and five men. At least 10 other injured people were later hospitalized in a state “stable to critical”.
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According to CCTV footage, the shooter was an Asian male wearing a beanie and wearing glasses.
On Sunday, in front of the police cordon in Monterey Park, many residents filmed the scene with their smartphones, while traders dismantled the Chinese New Year market after the cancellation of the festivities.
Shocked and in disbelief, many still found it hard to believe that such a massacre could have taken place in this predominantly Asian suburb, renowned for its tranquility.
130 deaths per day due to firearms
On Saturday evening, tens of thousands of people had just gathered near the scene of the shooting in Monterey Park for the Lunar New Year festivities. According to the owner of a nearby restaurant quoted by the “Los Angeles Times”, three people ran into his establishment at the time of the shooting and asked him to lock the door.
The United States pays a very heavy price for the dissemination of firearms on its territory and the ease with which Americans have access to them.
Around 49,000 people died from gunshot wounds in 2021 in the United States, compared to 45,000 in 2020, which was already a record year. This represents more than 130 deaths per day, more than half of which are suicides.
