Multiple casualties after shooting at California Lunar New Year celebration | US News

Ten people have been killed in a mass shooting during Lunar New Year celebrations in California, police confirm.

Officials were responding to the attack in Monterey Park, a city east of Los Angeles, where video on social media appeared to show police flooding the area and firefighters treating victims.

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People were also seen being put on stretchers or loaded into ambulances.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sheriff Bob Boss said the shooting occurred at a business and was attributed to a man.

However, it is unclear whether the suspect is still at large.

A police car is seen near the scene of a shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 1.  February 22, 2023. Dozens of police officers responded to a shooting Saturday night after a large Lunar New Year celebration in a neighborhood east of Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Photo: Associated Press

“Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Detectives Are Responding, Assisting Monterey Park Police Department
Shooting death investigation. Nine people died,” the department said in a brief statement.

“No further information is available at this time.”

Thousands of people gathered on Saturday afternoon for the two-day festival, which is considered one of the largest in the region.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the shooting happened around 10pm (6am UK time) and a witness said he believed it took place at a dance club.

Seung Won Choi, who owns a seafood restaurant in the area, told news outlets that three men stormed his shop and made him lock the door.

Investigators gather at the scene of a shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 1.  February 22, 2023. Dozens of officers responded to a shooting Saturday night after a large Lunar New Year celebration in an East Los Angeles neighborhood.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Investigators are at the scene.Photo: Associated Press

He said he was told a gunman with a machine gun had multiple rounds.

His friend told him the shooter was holding a long gun and appeared to be firing indiscriminately.

In a tweet, City Controller Kenneth Mejia, a Los Angeles government official, said he was “sad for those who lost loved ones tonight” in the “mass shooting.”

“Monterey Park is one of the largest Asian communities in Los Angeles County, and many people went out to celebrate the Lunar New Year,” he added.

A still from video shows emergency responders at the scene of a shooting after a shooting in Monterey Park, California, U.S., January 22, 2023.  TNLA/Handout via Reuters, this image was provided by a third party.mandatory credit
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Image: TNLA/Handout via REUTERS

Sky News correspondent Martha Kelner explained that details about the incident are still rather sketchy.

“We still don’t know if the shooter is at large, in custody or otherwise. So we’re waiting It was really about getting any kind of first-hand information from the police about this shooting,” she said.

Earlier in the day, crowds were able to attend various events, watch live entertainment and visit “hundreds of vendors” as part of the festivities, according to a notice from the City of Monterey Park.

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