Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna on Wednesday announced that officials have learned more about the man at the center of the investigation into the Monterey Park mass shooting, which left 11 people dead and wounded 9 others following Lunar New Year festivities on Jan. 22. A motive, however, remains elusive.
Authorities say the suspect, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, entered the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park Saturday night and opened fire.
Huu later drove away from the scene and entered the Lai Lai Ballroom in nearby Alhambra where he was disarmed by a 26-year-old man before fleeing the scene.
An hours-long manhunt led officers to a white van in Torrance late Sunday morning where Tran was discovered dead inside from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
At Wednesday night’s press conference, the sheriff listed the three firearms recovered from the suspect. The first firearm was a 9mm Mac-10 with a 30-round magazine clip, which was not registered in the state of California. The gun Tran used to take his own life was identified as a Norinco 7.62x25mm pistol, which was registered to him. The third firearm was identified as a Savage Arms .308 caliber bolt-action rifle, which was also registered to the suspect.
Luna also announced that Monterey Park police officers recovered a motorcycle in the 200 block of South Garfield Avenue registered to Tran. That location is one block south of the crime scene in Monterey Park.
Investigators determined the motorcycle was parked there sometime on Saturday, just prior to the shooting. Luna said that investigators believe the motorcycle was put there as an alternative getaway vehicle.
“As of today, based on the interviews that investigators are still conducting, they have not been able to establish a connection between the suspect and any of the victims thus far,” Luna said.
Tran was unmarried and investigators have so far not tied him romantically to any of the victims.
“We do not believe the suspect has frequented the dance studio in the last five years,” Luna said. “Based on the statements we have, he hasn’t been there in five years.”
The sheriff also said that investigators are still working to determine just how long Tran had been planning the shooting.
Anyone with information is urged to contact LASD homicide detectives at 323-890-5500.
