Tragedy struck Monterey Park, California, Saturday night as many gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year at events throughout the area. A gunman entered a dance studio with a weapon at around 10:20 p.m. and killed 10 people and injured at least 10 others.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna recently shared that authorities have identified the suspect as Huu Can Tran, 72.
The suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after law enforcement used armored vehicles to pin his white van to prevent him from driving away.
In his statement, Luna did not reveal a motive. The attack occurred on the eve of the Lunar New Year, a major holiday in many Asian communities.
The suspect had run from the scene at the dance studio and was at large afterward. Authorities released photos of the suspect in an attempt to locate him. However, it is now known that the suspect actually went to another dance studio with his weapon, but he was disarmed by a civilian.
When the gunman entered the second studio, about 20 minutes after the initial attack, Luna said he was disarmed by "two heroes," who took the weapon from the suspect.
One of these individuals was 26-year-old Brandon Tsay, who saw the man enter the dance studio, where he was working in the reception area. The gunman pointed a semiautomatic pistol at Tsay, who immediately feared for his life.
“He was looking at me and looking around, not hiding that he was trying to do harm. His eyes were menacing,” recalled Tsay to The New York Times.
He explained how he wrestled with the man to remove the gun form him, the pair tumbling into the lobby of the studio.
“From his body language, his facial expression, his eyes, he was looking for people,” Tsay said.
According to a 2020 census, Monterey Park, in Los Angeles County, has a population of 60,000 people, 65% of whom are Asian.
The gunman did not give up his weapon willingly at the second location. The Tsay family released footage from the lobby of the dance studio, which they own. Tsay’s older sister, Brenda, said the struggle to disarm the gunman went on for a long time.
“He kept coming at him, he really wanted the gun back,” she said of the attacker.
Brandon Tsay told the Times that he had never seen a real gun before, but he knew it was a deadly weapon when he saw it.
“My heart sank, I knew I was going to die,” he recalled.
But within moments of seeing the gunman, he jumped into action and tried to take control of the gun.
“That moment, it was primal instinct,” he said. “Something happened there. I don’t know what came over me.”
