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| 10 people were killed in a shooting in Monterey Park, and the suspect is still at large. |
According to authorities, ten persons died as a result of a shooting at a ballroom dancing studio in Monterey Park, California.
According to police, ten more individuals have been hurt, and the culprit is still at large.
On Saturday at at 22:20 local time, there was a gunshot (06:20 GMT on Sunday).
To celebrate the Lunar New Year, thousands of people had previously congregated in the city in Monterey Park.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stated that a male suspect fled the scene and that they are looking for him, but they gave no further information.
Emergency services verified there were 10 persons deceased at the scene, according to Captain Andrew Meyer.
At least 10 other people have suffered injuries and are being treated at nearby hospitals for conditions ranging from critical to stable.
It was too early to determine if the event was being considered as a hate crime, according to investigators, who also stated that there was no obvious motivation.
They declared the cancellation of the Lunar New Year festival activities scheduled for Sunday.
Social media videos from the area, which is about eight miles (13 km) east of Los Angeles, showed a significant police presence.
According to a witness who spoke to the Los Angeles Times, three people barged into his restaurant and ordered him to lock the door because a man brandishing a machine gun was nearby.
According to Jeong Park, a reporter for the paper, "it appears to have happened at a dance studio nearby where a gunman came in with what an eyewitness described as a machine gun, some automatic gun, and fired multiple rounds at mostly Asian-Americans."
Minutes afterwards, according to a witness, someone escaped in a vehicle.
Others at the festival reported hearing unusual sounds that they thought might have been fireworks.
"Then, when I heard the helicopter overhead, I was certain it was not fireworks. Because helicopters are never present here, "Gabriel, a male, spoke to Reuters.
An annual celebration celebrating the lunar new year takes place over the course of a weekend and has in the past attracted more than 100,000 people.
The activities on Saturday night were supposed to wrap up at 21:00 local time.
Approximately 60,000 individuals call Monterey Park home, and a sizable Asian community resides there.
