Domino Effect of Mass Shootings Leaves California Shock as the Number of Deaths Increase

California mourns over mass shooting victims as the death toll in the Monterey Park shooting rises to eleven, creating a total of 19 deaths due to gun violence in just 44 hours. 

On Jan. 21, a gunman opened fire inside Monterey Park’s Star Ballet Dance Studio, killing 10 people at the venue and leaving 10 severely injured. The 72-year-old suspect, Huu Can Tran, reportedly then went to a second dance hall in Alhambra called the Lai Lai Ballroom, where he presumably attempted another attack, but was disarmed by an attendee at the location. Four victims were being treated at LAC+USC Medical, where officials confirmed that one of the patients died. 

The massacre marks the nation’s fifth mass killing this month and the deadliest attack since May 24, 2022, when 19 children and two adults were killed in an elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. 

“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we are saddened to share that one of the victims has succumbed to their extensive injuries,” a hospital official said in a statement Monday. “We want to express our deepest sympathies to their families and loved ones.

“Of the remaining victims receiving care at LAC+USC Medical Center, one remains in serious condition. The remaining two patients are recovering.” 

The massacre took place just hours after an all-day event commemorating the Lunar New Year’s Eve in anticipation of Sunday’s new calendar. According to the city’s website, the two-day Lunar New Year Festival features “food booths with various types of delectable items, amusement rides, and lots of live entertainment,” and has seen a turnout of more than 100,000 daily visitors in past years, making the celebration one of California’s largest. The Lunar New Year festivities were canceled for the remainder of the weekend following the murders.

At the end of an hours-long manhunt, the suspect was found dead about 28 miles from the crime scene, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a police traffic stop of the white van he used to flee. While investigators continue to search for a motive, witness testimonies have led them to concentrate on the likelihood that Tran had gone to the studio with specific targets in mind. 

In a statement to the New York Times, an official source–that has requested anonymity–said some of those murdered or injured were probably people he knew, while others may have been shot at random. Nonetheless, County Supervisor Janice Hahn said it was the deadliest mass shooting in L.A. County.

“The strength of this community is incredible,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom in a statement to ABC News. “No other country in the world is terrorized by this constant stream of gun violence. We need real gun reform at a national level.’”

Similarly, President Biden re-established his plea to Congress to pass a national ban on assault weapons. The president’s statement followed unsettling reports of a second mass shooting that took place on Monday in Half Moon Bay–less than two days after the tragedy at Star Ballet Dance Studio and just a couple of hours before gunfire killed one person and wounded seven others later that evening in Oakland. 

According to Reuters, the latest assaults occurring in California are among the deadliest outbreaks of gun violence to have occurred in a state with a reputation for having strong gun laws in decades. 

“Even as we await further details on these shootings, we know the scourge of gun violence across America requires stronger action,” Biden said. “I once again urge both chambers of Congress to act quickly and deliver this Assault Weapons Ban to my desk, and take action to keep American communities, schools, workplaces, and homes safe.”

Sixty-six-year-old Chunli Zhao is suspected of killing four people at a mushroom farm and three others at a nearby site before driving to a sheriff’s station, allegedly to surrender. Authorities believe that the shooting at Half Moon Bay was a work-related incident, mostly due to the evidence connecting the victims and suspect as coworkers. Zhao was apprehended Monday evening in San Mateo County, while dispatchers in Oakland responded to reports of a music video shoot that quickly turned into a shoot-out. 

At a news conference on Tuesday, interim Police Chief Darren Allison revealed that five individuals, including deceased victim Mario Navarro, were hit by the gunfire that also harmed a car and a neighboring business, and three more people were hurt in a car accident as they fled the scene. 

Gun reform has been an increasingly controversial and high-demand topic over the past few years as we see more mass shootings and acts of gun violence in the world. The second amendment continues to hold weight in the ballots with every election, while politicians battle each other and activists battle politicians. 

As California recovers from the heartache, lawmakers, officials, and everyday residents will continue to work towards progression and protection in our society and communities.