2023 Lunar New Year Tragedy
What happened in Monterey Park, California on the night of January 21, 2023?
Monterey Park is a city located in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County. In 2017, the city was named one of the best places to live and raise a family in America. About 65% of MPK's residents are of Asian descent.
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On the eve of Lunar New Year (January 21, 2023), tens of thousands of people had gathered in Monterey Park for one of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations in Southern California. The Star Ballroom Dance Studio was holding a Lunar New Year countdown dance party nearby. At about 10:22PM PST, a gunman opened fire in the dance studio, killing eleven people and injuring nine others. He fled the scene, and made his way to Lai Lai Ballroom in nearby Alhambra to continue his shooting spree. When he entered the ballroom, he was disarmed and confronted by staff before fleeing by car.
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At around 10:20AM on January 22, 2023, police pulled over a van in Torrance, California that matched the description of the gunman. As officers approached the van, they heard a single gunshot, and observed that the man had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A message from
President Joe Biden
On January 24, 2023, Erika L. Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, participated in a vigil at Monterey Park City Hall in California to mourn those who were killed in the mass shooting on January 21, 2023. Moritsugu shared the Biden-Harris Administration’s full support and condolences for the community and delivered the following message from President Joe Biden:
Providing safe resources and services for families and individuals affected by the Lunar New Year tragedy
MPK Hope is a resiliency center supported by a number of organizations, that came together to provide assistance and aid to victims of the shooting. We are continuously creating and putting together resources and mental health services to facilitate the healing and rebuilding of the families, individuals, and communities affected by the Lunar New Year tragedy.