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On Saturday, January 21, mass shooting suspect Huu Can Tran allegedly carried out two shootings in Monterey Park before committing suicide during a standoff with Monterey Park authorities.
According to CNN, the 72-year-old targeted two dance clubs, identified as Monterey Park's Star Ballroom Dance studio and Alhambra's Lai Lai Ballroom Studio. While Huu Can Tran allegedly killed 11 people and injured nine others at the former venue, no one was harmed in the second shooting, as the suspect was reportedly fended off by a bystander at the scene.
As per the Associated Press, the elderly suspect fired 42 rounds in the initial dance club massacre. In the aftermath of his suicide, authorities found Huu Can Tran in possession of a 308 caliber rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The weapon used in the attack was described by County Sheriff Robert Luna as a Mac-10 semi-automatic pistol.
"Hero that disarmed the suspect and saved many lives": Officials comment on Brandon Tsay who stopped suspect Huu Can Tran
In an official statement, California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked 26-year-old Brandon Tsay, the bystander responsible for restraining the shooting suspect. The latter, who had allegedly struggled with Huu Can Tran before calling the police, is a member of the family that co-owns the Lai Lai Ballroom.
Newsom said for Brandon Tsay:
“This remarkable young man who without any hesitation — though with moments of fear — took it upon himself to save countless lives. Who knows how many lives he saved.”
He added:
“The strength of this community is incredible. No other country in the world is terrorized by this constant stream of gun violence. We need real gun reform at a national level.”
Sheriff Luna also commented on Brandon Tray's actions, stating:
“He’s the hero that disarmed the suspect at the Alhambra location and in my opinion saved many lives. What a brave man he is.”
Tsay disclosed that the moment he saw the suspect's gun, he understood that he was not witnessing a robbery, but a potential mass shooting:
“Something came over me. I realized I needed to get the weapon away from him, I needed to take this weapon, disarm him or else everybody would have died. When I got the courage, I lunged at him with both my hands, grabbed the weapon and we had a struggle.”
The 26-year-old added that he would not like to talk about the incident in detail, as he wants the media's focus to remain on the victims of the shooting:
“Some of these people I know personally. They come to our studio. It’s a tight knit community and I hope they can heal from this tragic event."
Brandon Tsay's father, Lai Lai Ballroom co-owner Tom Tsay, spoke of his son's actions, stating:
“He saw that he had an opportunity. The person was cocking his gun. And he saw the opportunity and he just jumped.”
The motive behind the shooting remains unknown as of yet.
