72-yr-old man kills 10, self in US Lunar New Year festival

No fewer than 10 people were killed by a 72-year-old at a dance club, in Monterey Park, Los Angeles, California in the United States on Saturday.

The septuagenarian gunman, identified as Huu Can Tran, however, killed himself on Sunday as the police approached him after he had carried out a Lunar New Year massacre.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the shooter used a high-capacity magazine pistol to shoot up a ballroom dance venue popular with older patrons about 11km east of downtown Los Angeles.

Reuters reported that 10 people were also wounded but the investigators did not yet know a motive, although gun violence is frequent in the United States.

Luna did not identify any of the victims but said the five men and five women appeared to be in their 50s, 60s and beyond.

The sheriff said the pistol Tran used appeared to be illegal in California, where state laws ban any magazine holding more than 10 rounds.

“We want to know, we want to know how something this awful can happen,” Luna said.

After police say Tran carried out the shooting in Monterey Park at about 10 pm US time, he was confronted by bystanders at a second dance club in the neighbouring city of Alhambra about 20 minutes later, Luna said.

“I can tell you that the suspect walked in there, probably with the intent to kill more people, and two brave community members decided they were going to jump into action and disarm him,” Luna said.

Of the 10 people injured, seven remained hospitalised Sunday night, with at least one person in critical condition.