January 24, 2023 - Monterey Park mass shooting

By Adrienne Vogt, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Maureen Chowdhury and Elise Hammond, CNN

Updated 9:42 p.m. ET, January 24, 2023
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7:53 a.m. ET, January 24, 2023

At least one Chinese citizen killed in Monterey Park mass shooting, consulate says

From CNN’s Beijing Bureau

People leave flowers and candles at the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, for the victims of the mass shooting on Monday.
People leave flowers and candles at the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, for the victims of the mass shooting on Monday. (David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images)

At least one Chinese citizen was killed in the Monterey Park mass shooting on Saturday, the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles said in a statement.

The statement didn’t specify how many Chinese citizens were among the 11 victims. 

“The serious shooting incident in the Chinese community is shocking and deeply regrettable,” the Chinese Consulate's statement read. The Chinese embassy and consulates in the US were ordered to lower their flags to half-staff.

The consulate also reminded Chinese citizens in its consular district to “raise risk awareness, strengthen security precautions, and ensure their own safety," according to the statement.

8:26 a.m. ET, January 24, 2023

Officials shared new details in its shooting investigation. Here's what we know now

From CNN staff

Monterey Park Police stand guard at the closed Lunar New Year festival site on Sunday, January 22 after a mass shooting at Star Ballroom Dance Studio Saturday night.
Monterey Park Police stand guard at the closed Lunar New Year festival site on Sunday, January 22 after a mass shooting at Star Ballroom Dance Studio Saturday night. (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images)

Officials are still investigating many of the details of the mass shooting Saturday that left 11 people dead in Monterey Park, California.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna and several other officials provided updates Monday while acknowledging they still don't have a motive for the rampage at a dance studio.

What we know so far is that the 72-year-old gunman walked into Star Ballroom Dance Studio in the Los Angeles neighborhood and opened fire shortly after a Lunar New Year celebration. The man then drove to a second dance hall in neighboring Alhambra where he entered with a firearm but fled after being disarmed, officials said.

The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday when his vehicle was approached by police officers.

Here's what else we learned:

  • The victims: Four of the 11 victims have been named so far. They are Xiujuan Yu, a 57-year-old woman, Valentino Alvero, a 68-year-old man, Mymy Nhan, a 65-year-old woman, and Lilan Li, a 63-year-old woman the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said. Officials said they are still working to notify the families of the other victims before identifying them.
  • The scene at the dance studio: The gunman fired 42 rounds of ammunition from a high-capacity handgun at the dance hall in Monterey Park, according to Luna. The sheriff said officials believe one person was shot outside of the studio in a vehicle before the gunman continued his rampage inside. Luna said they are "still putting it all together," including determining if the shooting was planned.
  • Search of the suspect's home: Investigators found a "few items of interest" at the shooter's mobile home — some of which led officials to believe he was "manufacturing homemade firearm suppressors," Luna said. Officials also found "hundreds of rounds of ammunition." The items, which now need to be thoroughly tested, according to the sheriff, were gathered from a search warrant that was executed earlier Monday.
  • No motive yet: The gunman's motive is still unknown, several officials said. The suspect had a "limited criminal history," according to the sheriff, noting an arrest in 1990 for unlawful possession of a firearm. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said he believes the shooting seems to have been targeted, pointing to the fact that the gunman was "very familiar" with the dance studio where the shooting took place. People who knew the gunman told CNN that he used to go to the studio frequently.
  • Mass shootings in America: There have been 36 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023. That's more than there have been at this point in any year on record. The shooting in Monterey Park was the deadliest attack since the Uvalde massacre in May 2022.