Police Respond To ‘Barricaded Suspect’ As L.A.-Area Gunman Remains At Large

Topline

Law enforcement are dealing with a “barricaded suspect” in a white van who may be connected to a Saturday night mass shooting at a Los Angeles-area dance studio, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said Sunday afternoon—but police say it’s unclear if the suspect in the van was responsible for the shooting that left 10 people dead.

Investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide bureau walk away after … [+] briefing the media in Monterey Park, California.

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

Law enforcement is engaged in a “tactical incident” in a parking lot in the city of Torrance, California, Luna said during a Sunday press conference, as images taken by local media show SWAT vehicles surrounding a white van (Luna had previously described a white cargo van linked to the mass shooting as a “van of interest”).

Law enforcement does not know the barricaded person’s condition or identity, Luna said, adding “could it be our suspect? possibly.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released photos of an unnamed shooting suspect—an Asian man dressed in a knit hat and glasses—and asked the public for tips regarding his whereabouts, warning he “should be considered armed and dangerous.”

The incident—the deadliest mass shooting so far this year—took place around 10.30 pm local time on Saturday at Star Dance Studio in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park, which is located about 20 miles northeast of Torrance.

Ten people were killed and at least 10 other people were taken to local hospitals for treatment, including some who are in critical condition, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Captain Andrew Meyer told reporters early Sunday morning.

In a second incident that police believe could be connected to the first, Luna said an Asian male walked into another dance club in nearby Alhambra with a gun, before patrons wrestled it from his hands and he fled the scene.

The shooter was not using a “a high-powered assault rifle,” Luna said, while a witness told the Los Angeles Times the gunman was using a “long gun” and appeared to be firing “indiscriminately.”

Further Viewing

Big Number

2,539. That is the total number of people who have been killed by guns across the U.S. so far in 2023, including from homicides, suicides, unintentional deaths and other causes, according to the Gun Violence Archive. These include 33 incidents of mass shootings this year, which the Gun Violence Archive defines as an incident where four or more people were killed or injured, not including the shooter.

Tangent

The incident has rocked members of Monterey Park’s large Asian American community, many of whom were planning to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year on Sunday. Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis noted that this was slated to be the city’s first Lunar New Year celebration in three years, after the event had to be postponed in the past two years due to Covid.

Crucial Quote

In a statement issued on Twitter, California Governor Gavin Newsom said: “Monterey Park should have had a night of joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year. Instead, they were the victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence. Our hearts mourn as we learn more about the devastating acts of last night. We are monitoring the situation closely.”