On Sunday, Huu Can Tran was found dead in a white van having killed himself after a shooting spree t…
On Sunday, Huu Can Tran was found dead in a white van having killed himself after a shooting spree the night before at a Monterey Park dance studio which left 11 people dead.[0] The 72-year-old had a semi-automatic assault pistol with an extended large-capacity magazine attached.[1] The governor of California states that the state's gun death rate is 37 percent lower than the national average, which he attributes to the state's stringent gun policies.[2]
The family of one of the victims, Valentino Alvero, 68, is remembering a loving grandfather of three, who enjoyed ballroom dancing and connecting with people in his community.[3] On Tuesday night, hundreds of people congregated around Monterey Park City Hall in remembrance of those who had passed away.[4]
26-year-old Brandon Tsay has been praised for his brave act in neutralizing the shooter at a dance hall in Alhambra, California, and is now being considered a hero.[5]
According to the Gun Violence Archive, a mass shooting takes place when four or more individuals are shot, either harmed or dead, excluding the shooter.[6] In the first three weeks of 2023, 39 mass shootings have occurred, leading to the death of 18 people. One of the shootings, which happened in Half Moon Bay south of San Francisco, resulted in the death of 7 individuals. Additionally, 11 people died in Monterey Park, California, due to another mass shooting over the weekend.[7]
Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his outrage towards the Republican Party. “Where’s he been on gun safety reform? Where’s the Republican Party been on gun safety reform? Shame on them. Shame on those that allow and perpetuate that to be rewarded politically,” he said.[2]
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy expressed his condolences “to the families in California with the recent violence over the last couple days.”[2]
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit her home state Wednesday in the wake of the two shootings.[8] [8]
[9] Luna referred to the weapon as a “magazine-fed, semi-automatic assault pistol.”[5] During a search of Tran's home, investigators found a rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition and evidence that Tran was making firearm suppressors.[10]
0. “The suspected Monterey Park attacker was 72. Here's why older shooters are rare” MPR News, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/01/24/npr-the-suspected-monterey-park-attacker-was-72-heres-why-older-shooters-are-rare
1. “Suspect in Monterey Park massacre may have had illegal semi-automatic handgun” The Pasadena Star-News, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2023/01/22/suspect-in-monterey-park-massacre-may-have-had-illegal-semi-automatic-handgun
2. “Newsom renews call for federal action on gun safety after 2 mass shootings in California” POLITICO, 25 Jan. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/24/newsom-mccarthy-republicans-california-shootings-00079331
3. “Loved ones remember grandfather killed in Monterey Park mass shooting” KTLA Los Angeles, 25 Jan. 2023, https://ktla.com/news/local-news/loved-ones-remember-grandfather-killed-in-monterey-park-mass-shooting
4. “Why police took hours to warn public that Monterey Park mass shooter was on the loose” Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2023, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-24/police-took-hours-to-warn-public-about-monterey-park-shooter
5. “Watch: Exclusive video captures moment man disarms Monterey Park shooter” NBC News, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/watch-exclusive-video-captures-moment-man-disarms-monterey-park-shoote-rcna67061
6. “More mass shootings than days in 2023” Axios, 25 Jan. 2023, https://www.axios.com/2023/01/25/mass-shootings-us-2023-more-than-days
7. “The U.S. has seen 39 mass shootings so far this month. More than 60 people have been killed.” CBS News, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/39-mass-shootings-first-23-days-of-year/
8. “Hundreds mourn, honor victims in Monterey Park mass shooting attack” USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/01/25/hundreds-mourn-honor-victims-monterey-park-mass-shooting-attack/11117331002/
9. “Lunar New Year massacre: Brandon Tsay, ‘Hero' civilian, disarmed gunman at Alhambra dancehall, Sheriff says” FOX 11 Los Angeles, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.foxla.com/news/brandon-tsay-lunar-new-year-massacre-monterey-park-shooting
10. “Mourners drawn to Monterey Park, 11 killed in mass shooting now identified” OCRegister, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.ocregister.com/2023/01/24/11-victims-killed-in-monterey-park-mass-shooting-now-identified/