CA - Multiple Deaths In Mass Shootings At Two Dance Studios in Monterey Park By Gunman Huu Can Tran, Jan 2023

[Seattle1]

Preventable? Not with out a crystal ball- and working crystal ball are in short supply

Trans seems to have been a high maintenance individual who might have just alienated one person too many at the dance hall to be invited to all events.

High maintenance people tend to get "dissed" (angered) fairly often by somebody, somehow, somewhere.

In short:

A. Not invite Tran and he might be "dissed".
B. Invite Tran and he might be "dissed" (sees ex dancing with another man, feels that he was not given lead male dancer honors, attractive woman refuses his second dance request etc. etc.)

Whether its scenario "A" or "B" or something in between, trying to forecast and prevent Tran from reaching for a gun might be pretty hard.

Respectfully, perhaps OP missed the part about how this was NOT an isolated incident where patrons felt dissed. The fact that this wasn't uncommon is what is preventable.

Here, it was unstable Chan that reacted:

According to Chong, it wasn't uncommon for the owner of the dance studio to hold these types of events and only invite certain people. He said people got upset all the time about not being able to attend the events.

 

[citizen_sleuth]

We may never know the real reason for the murders because Tran is dead, but massacring 10 people because you weren't invited to a dance and your ex-wife (who divorced you almost 2 decades ago) was is so incredibly senseless.

 

[Dotta]

Jealousy possible suspect motive in Monterey Park mass shooting, says community leader

Community leader Chester Chong told ABC7 that he believes a domestic dispute may be a possible motive for the mass shooting that occurred Saturday night at a dance studio in Monterey Park.

abc7.com

Jan 22, 2023

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- As the investigation continues into the mass shooting that occurred at a Monterey Park dance studio late Saturday night, a prominent member of the community with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce believes the suspect's possible motive may be related to a domestic dispute.

Community leader Chester Chong told ABC7 that the owner of the dance studio on West Garvey Avenue was holding an event there on Saturday. Through talking with friends that were in attendance and other local leaders, he said a woman was invited to the event but not her husband, which made him upset. Chong said he believes that woman's husband is the suspect in this case and jealousy may be a possible motive for the shooting.

According to Chong, it wasn't uncommon for the owner of the dance studio to hold these types of events and only invite certain people. He said people got upset all the time about not being able to attend the events.

[;;]

During a press conference Sunday morning, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna described the suspect as an Asian male between 30 to 50 years old, based on preliminary information. A more detailed description was not available. The suspect remains on the loose.

[;;]

Luna said five women and five men are among the deceased victims. Those victims have not been identified yet.

But, isn't it the owner's prerogative to invite those he chooses?

It seems the perp was not a desired guest (for obvious, known to the owner, reasons).

JMO

 

[Seattle1]

Tran's friends, who were close to the gunman from around the early 2010s, revealed to CNN after the shooting that he was 'hostile to a lot of people' at the studio where he taught and believed they said 'evil things about him.'

Tran taught lessons at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio almost every night in the early 2000s when he lived five minutes away in the San Gabriel Valley.

^^rsbm

Twenty years later, elderly, unstable, and no invite, was the last straw. This was a targeted incident and not a hate crime. MOO

 

[Erutan]

Agreed with above poster that this was not a hate crime but more of a vendetta for unknown reasons.

Also, the owner can't invite all and sundry as there is a limited amount of chairs , tables, and dance floor space.
So I'm not completely clear if the shooter wasn't invited as a matter of course ... or if the owner didn't want him specifically ?
I'm inclined to think it was the former, and the killer for reasons known to himself took it personally ?
Senseless and incomprehensible.

My utmost condolences to the families of the victims !!
So sorry they lost their precious innocent loved ones.

Kudos to Mr. Tsay who tackled the gunman at the second location.
The killer could also have had a second gun on his person, and Tsay could have also died !
Imo.

Moment hero bystander tackled Monterey Park gunman

Brandon Tsay, 26, tackled gunman Huu Can Tran, 72, at the Lai Lai Ballroom in Alhambra, before he could fire any shots. He disarmed Tran and sent him fleeing. Tran killed himself on Sunday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

'When I got the courage, I lunged at him with both my hands, grabbed the weapon an we struggled into the lobby, trying to get this gun away from each other. He was hitting me across the face and bashing my head.

'I was trying to create some distance. Finally, at one point, I was able to pull the gun away from him, shove him aside and create some distance.

'I was able to get the gun and point it at him, intimidate him, shout: "Get the hell away from here! I'll shoot! Get away!"

 

[steeltowngirl]

The victims: The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office has released the names of two of the 10 victims killed in the Monterey Park, California, shooting. The victims identified are My Nhan, a 65-year-old woman, and Lilan Li, a 63-year-old woman. Officials have not yet released the names of the other three women and five men killed in the attack, but they have provided general age ranges. Nine of the 10 victims were in their 60s and 70s and one was in her 50s, according to officials.

Live updates: Monterey Park, California mass shooting during Lunar New Year celebrations

At least 11 people were killed in a mass shooting Saturday at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California. Authorities said the gunman died Sunday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Follow here for live news updates.

www.cnn.com

 

[Cryptic]

Respectfully, perhaps OP missed the part about how this was NOT an isolated incident where patrons felt dissed. The fact that this wasn't uncommon is what is preventable.

The murders were not carried out by somebody in general. Rather, they were carried out by a specific person known to be high maintenance with some anger issues.

Crystal Balls capable of reading the following are very hard to find:

- A. Would Tran be set off if he did not get an invitation? -or-
- B. Would Tran be set off if he attended (say, ex wife, or other issue angers him about something?) -or-
-C. Neither of the above.

In this case, Tran got set off by "A". The shooting is then said to have been "preventable". But... if Tran got set off by "B", then the "preventable" claim would be: Why was he invited to begin with?

 

[steeltowngirl]

Tiffany Liou WFAA:

Mymy Nhan was the first person shot and killed during the #MontereyPark mass shooting.

I've covered a lot of tragedies, and never imagined one would hit so close to home.

Mymy was my husband's aunt. She treated her nieces and nephews like her own children. Her kindness is what’s needed in this world.

My husband's family is hurting beyond measure.
Here's a statement on behalf of the family.

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

 

[branmuffin]

I highly doubt this is a domestic dispute. Not after being divorced nearly twenty years so I wish the news would stop reporting that his wife was invited to the dance and not him. It's not relevant and it's putting unfair focus on her. It's more likely that Mr. Tran was a perfectionist and maybe took his role as dance instructor a little too seriously. Maybe he was a bit too heavy handed with his teaching style when his students only wanted to learn enough to go to the ballroom and have fun. He probably alienated a lot of his students and the dance hall owner saw him as more trouble than he was worth, hence not inviting him.

Plus if the Asian community has such an interest in ballroom dancing as has been reported not everyone could probably attend and the owner hand picked those who attended. Maybe they were his most loyal attendees, who knows. So Mr. Tran sits and stews about him been sidelined and not being sought out.

It's such a terrible waste of life. And even though I don't classify this as a domestic dispute the circumstances surrounding the tragedy seem to have the same markers as DV: control, jealousy, and annihilation. IMO

My condolences to the victims and those impacted by their deaths.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Ming Wei Ma​

Dance instructor Ming Wei Ma, 72, also known as Mr. Ma, was killed in a final act of selflessness, according to witnesses, as he was the first to rush the suspected gunman.

Friends at the Langley Center remembered him as the man who sacrificed his life to save others.

https://www.facebook.com/fox11la/photos/a.10150726664480553/10167859370105553

 

[steeltowngirl]

 

[steeltowngirl]

Monterey Park Survivor Says Slain Dance Partner Saved Her Life

Five men and five women were among the deceased from the Saturday night attack, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

www.thedailybeast.com

 

[steeltowngirl]

https://twitter.com/usatgraphics
USA TODAY Graphics
https://twitter.com/usatgraphics
@usatgraphics

A 72-year-old man shot and killed 10 people Saturday night, January 21, at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California. A visual timeline of what happened: https://usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2023/01/23/monterey-park-california-mass-shooting-timeline-details/11102307002/…

https://twitter.com/x/status/1617596252111110177

 

[Sundog]

I highly doubt this is a domestic dispute. Not after being divorced nearly twenty years so I wish the news would stop reporting that his wife was invited to the dance and not him. It's not relevant and it's putting unfair focus on her. It's more likely that Mr. Tran was a perfectionist and maybe took his role as dance instructor a little too seriously. Maybe he was a bit too heavy handed with his teaching style when his students only wanted to learn enough to go to the ballroom and have fun. He probably alienated a lot of his students and the dance hall owner saw him as more trouble than he was worth, hence not inviting him.

Plus if the Asian community has such an interest in ballroom dancing as has been reported not everyone could probably attend and the owner hand picked those who attended. Maybe they were his most loyal attendees, who knows. So Mr. Tran sits and stews about him been sidelined and not being sought out.

It's such a terrible waste of life. And even though I don't classify this as a domestic dispute the circumstances surrounding the tragedy seem to have the same markers as DV: control, jealousy, and annihilation. IMO

My condolences to the victims and those impacted by their deaths.

I, too, think it oversimplifies matters to label this as a "domestic dispute." I think it is easier for people to see it this way than to come to terms with other motives for a mass murder - such as targeting the dance studios for what they stood for in Mr. Tran's mind and their meaning for him over the years.

With the information we have up until now from LE, I see it more as a mass murder like a workplace violence situation, even though Mr. Tran no longer worked there, clearly his identity was closely tied to the dance halls.

The owner of the dance studio could not have known, IMO, she is a victim also, even if she made the decision to not invite certain members of the dance community. She would have had no way of knowing the tragedy that would unfold that night.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

CNN and MSNBC: Awaiting press conference with Governor Newsom and local officials.

Monterey Park shooting: Early investigation points to a personal motive

Police are searching for a motive in the Lunar New Year mass shooting at a dance hall in Southern California that left 11 people dead and at least 10 injured.

www.nbcnews.com

What to know about the mass shooting in Monterey Park​

• Authorities are still searching for a motive in the shooting that left 11 dead and at least 10 injured.
• The suspect, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
• Authorities found evidence linking the suspect to both the Monterey Park shooting and another incident in the nearby city of Alhambra, Luna said.
• President Joe Biden has ordered U.S. flags at federal public buildings and military locations to be flown at half-staff until sunset Thursday.

 

[Erutan]

The 11th victim has passed due to their wounds.


So sorry for the families !

Monterey Park mass shooting: Live updates

Authorities continue to search for a motive for the gunman who killed 11 people at a ballroom dance studio amid a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, Calif., a predominantly Asian American community just east of downtown Los Angeles.

www.yahoo.com

"The death toll from Saturday's dance hall massacre has risen to 11 after one of the 10 people who were wounded died .........

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services said that one of the four people being treated at the L.A. County-USC Medical Center has died of gunshot wounds, per the news service."

 

[Dotta]

"Tran had complained to police in Hemet, where he lived, that he feared his family were trying to poison him.

Cops also said on Monday afternoon he had made complaints of fraud and theft dating back up to 20 years against his family to a local police station on January 7 and 9.

He told them he would return with documents regarding his claims, but officers say he never came back."

Monterey Park shooter, 72, lived 'quietly' alone in seniors village

Huu Can Tran, 72, shot himself on Sunday in a van after being surrounded by SWAT teams. His motive for the rampage at Star Dance Studio remains unconfirmed.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Seattle1]

Monterey Park's population is more than 65% Asian, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The city of nearly 60,000 residents had just wrapped up the first day of its Lunar New Year Festival when the shooting occurred.

My (Asian) college roommate's law practice is across the plaza from Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park where the victims were shot and killed by a 72-year-old gunman, and I'm sharing her account as well as our shared experience.

Reportedly, the gunman was once a dance instructor at the studio, and about a year ago, moved from MP to a retirement community in Hemet.

On Sunday night, Community leader Chester Chong told ABC7 that the owner of the dance studio on West Garvey Avenue was holding an event there on Saturday. Through talking with friends that were in attendance and other local leaders, Chong said a woman was invited to the event but not her husband, which made him upset. Chong said he believes that woman's husband is the suspect in this case and jealousy may be a possible motive for the shooting.

Chong also told the network that it wasn't uncommon for the owner of the dance studio to hold these types of events and only invite certain people. He said people got upset all the time about not being able to attend the events.

Again, the above account, previously linked, is from a local community leader.

Relative to Chong's allegation that the owner of the ballroom dance studio often held events where only certain people would be invited and others excluded, I can't speak specifically to Saturday nights event but I have some general knowledge of these happening at venues catering especially to the older Asian/Korean community.

There are unofficial oral histories (consumer reviews) of NY and Los Angeles Asian/Korean Nightclubs 10+ years once visited by all sorts of K-pop royalty over the years and whose club owners have since transformed to ownership of dance studios serving longtime patrons now aged 65+.

Where the former clubs had a certain mystique, like most Asian haunts in NYC and Los Angeles: a word-of-mouth secret, hidden in plain sight, they are not shy about practicing cultural, old-world discrimination.

For example, my lawyer friend tells me even though Star Dance Studio typically advertises events such as the CNY dance on their FB, locals including Chong know the event long sold out (to the owner's exclusive, invitation-only guests).

And just like the studio classes where women outnumber the men, women desiring to attend the Chinese NY party were praying to make the cut! In Asian culture, not being invited is perceived as a scarlet letter, a public shaming. It's brutal -- aunties and uncles going to their graves wondering why they fell out. As my friend puts it -- "think senior citizen Mean Girls, Asian style."

While it's too early to know the shooter's motive, I think it also important to have a cultural perspective surrounding this horrific tragedy affecting so many. MOO

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/23/1150667373/monterey-park-shooting-what-we-know-california

Korean-Only Club to Pay Snubbed Patrons $20K in Discrimination Fines

Talk about a picky bouncer. Times Square nightclub Circle NYC is no stranger to accusations of racism regarding whom they choose to let past the velvet rope. On Thursday, however, those complaints …

observer.com

 

[Luna20]

CBS is reporting now that they found ‘gun paraphernalia’ in Trans mobile home.

 

[steeltowngirl]

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner released the names of two more victims of Saturday's mass shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, Calif.: a woman, Xiujuan Yu, 57, and a man, Valentino Alvero, 68.

Two More Monterey Park Shooting Victims Identified

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner released the names of two more victims of Saturday's mass shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, Calif.: a woman, Xiujuan Yu, 57, and a man, Valentino Alvero, 68. [Two other victims](https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage

www.wsj.com