Updated 4:27 p.m. EST - The SWAT stand off is over. No arrests have been made.
Updated 3:40 p.m. EST - In an afternoon press conference, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said they do not know if the shooting suspect, is the same person involved in a standoff with police in Torrance.
He also said he is withholding announcing the name of the suspect so that they can focus on capturing him.
Updated 3:01 p.m. EST - KNX News reporter Nataly Tavidian reported a bullet hole in the side of the white van and a person slouched over inside.
Updated 2:42 a.m. EST - All lanes at the intersection of Hawthorne Blvd. and Sepulveda Blvd. are closed due to the police stand off in Torrance.
Updated 2:26 p.m. EST - The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shared photos of the suspect.
He is described by deputies as an "Asian male with dark complexion" and wearing "a black leather jacket, beanie and glasses."
Updated 2:17 p.m. EST - Police have converged on a van in a parking lot in Torrance, possibly in connection to the mass shooting. A press conference regarding this situation is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
Updated 1:47 p.m. EST - Chester Chong, head of the Chinese American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, told KNX News he's been told this is a husband and wife argument that ended in shooting.
In addition, Jorge Orozco, CEO of LAC+USC Medical Center released the following statement:
"At this time, we can confirm that our LAC+USC Medical Center has received four of the victims of the Monterey Park Mass Shooting that took place the night of Saturday, January 21st. LAC+USC Medical Center is a Level 1 Trauma Center with medical personnel extensively experienced in providing exceptional care in gun related tragedies.Due to Federal HIPAA patient privacy laws, we are unable to share details on our patients’ status. However, we want to assure the families of those at our LAC+USC Medical Center that our medical teams are doing everything possible to care for their loved ones.Finally, we want to express our profound sympathies to the families and loved ones of those whose lives were violently taken in this tragedy.
Updated 1:21 p.m. EST - According to ABC 7, families and victims in the mass shooting are asked to go to the Langley Senior Center where a staging and crisis response team will be.
Updated 12:52 p.m. EST - Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said, "Our people have added patrols across our Asian communities today and will meet with any organizers hosting New Year celebrations. We are working closely with @LASDHQ and @MontereyParkPD to support in any manner possible."
Updated 12:01 p.m. EST - Luna said five females and five males are dead following mass shooting in Monterey Park. Their ages are unclear as they have not been identified.
Luna also said the weapon was "not an assault rifle."
Updated 11:55 a.m. EST - Regarding the shooting incident at Alhambra Hall, Luna said "We believe there's an incident that may be related, we're not quite there yet."
He also said witnesses described a white cargo van that should be considered "van of interest."
Updated 11:38 a.m. EST - Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna spoke at a press conference on Sunday morning sharing more information about the shooting that occurred after 10 p.m. PST.
Luna shared that authorities have received multiple different descriptions of the suspect, but the preliminary description is that it was a male and that he was “Asian.”
At least 10 victims were transported to multiple hospitals, but Luna could not say the condition for each of them, saying they remain in various conditions, from stable to critical.
When firefighters arrived at the scene and entered the dance studio they found 10 victims who were all pronounced dead at the scene.
Luna also said that 20 to 30 minutes later, a man with a gun entered the Lai Lai Ballroom in nearby Alhambra, but that people wrested it away from him before he took off.
Luna also noted that police do not know if the shooting was connected to any of the events nearby.
When asked if it's a hate crime, Luna said "everything is on the table."
"We don't know if this is a hate crime defined by law, but who walks into a dance hall and guns down 20 people," he answered. "The description we have right now is a male Asian. Does that matter, we don't know."
Updated 11:30 a.m. EST — Officials across the state and the country have shared their support in the wake of the shooting.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom shared his condolences for those who lost their lives on Twitter, saying that it should have been a "joyful" night of "celebration of the Lunar New Year."
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also issued a statement, sharing that the reports of the mass shooting is "devastating."
"The reports coming out of Monterey Park are absolutely devastating. Families deserve to celebrate the holidays in peace — mass shootings and gun violence are a plague on our communities," Bass shared in her statement. "As investigations determine whether these murders were motivated by Asian hate, we continue to stand united against all attempts to divide us. My heart goes out to Monterey Park and the families and friends of those lost."
Updated 9:50 a.m. EST — On Saturday night, a gunman opened fire at a dance club in Monterey Park, California, killing at least 10 people and wounding 10 more. Police have shared that a manhunt is underway for the person responsible.
“Investigators are working every lead on this case,” Capt. Andrew Meyer from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s homicide division shared at a news conference on Sunday morning.
Meyer added that investigators were reviewing CCTV footage from near the scene at a ballroom dance club, where the shooting is believed to have taken place. However, Meyer and other authorities have not shared where the shooting occurred.
Taking place nearby the shooting was a Lunar New Year Festival, which has now been put on hold by the city “as a precaution and for the safety of everyone,” according to a statement.
However, the city did confirm in its statement that the shooting did not occur at the festival.
“Even though the incident did not occur at the 2023 Lunar New Year Festival, an active investigation is currently underway, and the area near and around the festival is affected,” the statement shared. “As a precaution and for the safety of everyone, the City regrets to announce the cancellation of the second day of the festival.”
Several agencies are now working with the Monterey Park Police Department to locate the suspect responsible for the shooting, Meyer shared.
“We’re working with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, The Federal Bureau of Investigation LA office, and numerous other law enforcement agencies,” Meyer shared.
According to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, President Biden has been informed about the shooting and has directed the FBI to provide “full support to local authorities.”
Meyer and other authorities have not shared any details of the suspect other than they believe him to be male. They also did not say what type of firearm was used to carry out the massacre.
“All I can tell you is that it was a firearm that was used,” Meyer told reporters Sunday morning.
“The City expresses condolences to the individuals, families, and friends who were injured in this tragic incident,” the statement continued.
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