Authorities probe motive in deadly Monterey Park dance hall shooting

Governor Newsom visits Monterey Park

California Governor Gavin Newsom met with local leaders of Monterey Park on Sunday, as he called for “real gun reform” at the national level hours after the deadly mass shooting.

“Monterey Park should have had a night of joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year. Instead, they were the victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence,” he wrote in a separate tweet.

Dance studio announces temporary closure after shooting

The Star Ballroom Dance studio, where Saturday’s deadly mass shooting unfolded, has shut its doors temporarily, the studio announced Monday.

“What should have been a festive night to welcome the first day of the Lunar New Year turned into a tragedy,” the dance studio said in a Facebook post.

“Our heart goes out to all the victims, survivors, and their families. In this time of healing, we hope that all those who were affected have the space to grieve and process what transpired within the last 24 hours,” the statement read.

The studio was shut “until further notice” and all classes had been canceled, it said.

Authorities investigate motive in Monterey Park mass shooting

Authorities are still investigating to determine the motive after the deadly shooting, which took place in California’s San Gabriel Valley region — home to more than a half-million people of Asian heritage who were celebrating the Lunar New Year.

The suspect, identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a van in Torrance after a traffic stop led to a standoff, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Sunday night at a news conference. 

Law enforcement officials recovered “several pieces of evidence” in the van linking the suspect to both the Monterey Park scene and a second scene in neighboring Alhambra, Luna said. His motive remained unknown, the sheriff added.