In a city near Los Angeles (LA), USA, where there are many Asian residents, a shooting occurred after a Lunar New Year event, resulting in casualties.



According to local media such as the Associated Press and the LA Times, a man opened fire with a semi-automatic gun at a store near Garvey Avenue in downtown Monterey Park, a city in southwestern California, USA, at around 10 pm local time on the 21st, killing at least 10 people.



Local media reported that there were many injured in addition to the 10 deaths reported by the police.



The injured were reportedly taken to several nearby medical facilities and are receiving treatment.



The suspect has not yet been identified.



Monterey Park, located about 10 miles from Los Angeles, has a population of about 60,000, 65% of whom are Asian Americans.



According to the New York Times, Monterey Park is the first city in the US mainland where immigrant groups such as China, Taiwan, Japan, and Vietnam settled, and Asians accounted for the majority.



In Monterey Park, a Lunar New Year celebration was scheduled for two days from this day.



The event was held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.



Choi Seung-won, who runs a nearby restaurant, said in an interview with the LA Times that three people ran into his restaurant and told him to lock the door.



Mr. Choi added that he heard from them that there was a man with a semi-automatic firearm nearby and that he seemed to have so many bullets that he had to reload after running out of the loaded ammunition.



Choi also said the shooting appeared to have occurred at a nearby dance club.



A nearby resident said he heard four or five gunshots when he returned home around 10 p.m., followed soon by the sound of police cars running down the street.



Videos and photos are being shared on social media (SNS) of police officers and rescue workers who have been dispatched around Garby Avenue taking care of victims.



The local police are investigating the incident as a shooting, and will hold a press conference on the morning of the 22nd local time to announce the confirmed facts.