Nine killed in shooting near LA after Lunar New Year festival
LA County Sheriff’s Department says shooting occurred in Monterey Park, a city home to a large Asian population.
At least nine people have been killed in a mass shooting east of Los Angeles following a Lunar New Year celebration that attracted thousands, police said.
Sergeant Bob Boese of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the shooting, which took place late on Saturday, occurred at a business on Garvey Avenue in Monterey Park.
The shooter is male, Boese said early on Sunday.
Journalist and videographer Sean Backner-Carmitchel reporting from Monterey Park told Al Jazeera the details of the incident were still “fairly unclear”.
“We are waiting for the names [of those deceased] and the motive of the suspect,” he added. “A lot of the people who have gathered out here from the community are in shock.”
Monterey Park is a city of about 60,000 people with a large Asian population that’s about 16km (10 miles) from downtown Los Angeles.
“Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones tonight in our neighboring city, Monterey Park, where a mass shooting just occurred,” Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia said in a tweet. Read More…