Gunman who killed 10 in California nightclub took his own life, sheriff says

A 72-year-old gunman open fired in a crowded nightclub in Monterey Park, Calif., as revelers  celebrated the Lunar New Year, killing 10 before taking his own life in a van 30 miles away, the sheriff said Sunday night.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the suspected gunman, Huu Can Tran, was found dead of a self-inflicted wound in Torrance, Calif., ending a massive manhunt that began with the mass shooting late Saturday.

Luna said investigators were still working to determine a possible motive but they had confirmed Tran had gone to a second location to continue shooting but was disarmed by bystanders.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Capt. Drew Meyer said Sunday that 10 victims were pronounced dead at the scene of the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, and 10 more were hospitalized.

Sheriff’s officials told The Associated Press that the shooting was reported at 10:22 p.m. and involved an Asian male shooter, who is still at large.

The community is about 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

The suspect may have tried to target a second dance hall less than a half hour after the first shooting. People at the Lai Lai Ballroom in nearby Alhambra wrestled a gun away from a suspect who entered the club. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said it is unclear whether the events are connected.

Authorities released a photo of the suspect, but did not give his name.

By midday Sunday, police gathered in a parking lot to surround a white van, according to the wire service. Hours earlier, Luna said officials were searching for a white van.

Seung Won Choi, who owns a seafood restaurant across the street from where the shooting happened, told the Los Angles Times that the incident occurred at a nightclub.

Choi said people fleeing the shooting told him the shooter was armed with a machine gun and had multiple rounds of ammunition.