New York Senator Schumer, Rep. Schiff and other liberals accuse Monterey of shooting because of “fanaticism” before the facts are known

The attacker killed 10 people and injured 10 people at a ballroom dance studio in Southern California on Saturday during Lunar New Year celebrations.

After 20 to 30 minutes, a man with a gun entered the Lai Lai ballroom in the nearby Alhambra, but patrons snatched the gun from him and he fled, authorities said.

Despite police not disclosing the suspect’s identity or race, some liberals on Twitter were quick to pin the horror on white supremacy and anti-Asian hatred before all the facts were out.

Senator Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., tweeted, “We must stand against bigotry and hate wherever they rear their ugly heads, and we must continue to work to stop gun violence.”

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said Saturday’s shooting was “a horrifying example of unnecessary gun violence. A possible motive was bigotry towards AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) representatives.”

Meanwhile, on #StopAsianHate, many Twitter users denounced the violence, punctuating their tweets with “#StopAsianHate”.

Wisconsin State Representative Francesca Hong, sharing her condolences to the victims, tweeted: “We as a nation are broken by mass shootings and white supremacy reigns terror.”

Although not full details were released on Sunday afternoon, authorities say the suspected shooter was an Asian male between the ages of 30 and 50.

Authorities said on Sunday they knew the suspect’s name, but declined to name him because it could make his arrest more difficult. They posted a photo showing an Asian man wearing glasses and a winter hat. The image was taken from an attempted shooting at the Alhambra.

Chester Chong, chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles, told ABC 7 that the mass shooting was due to a “domestic dispute.”

A police officer ties a tape around a lamp post in Monterey Park, Calif., Sunday, January 22, 2023.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

By Sunday afternoon, police in tactical vehicles and sapper trucks surrounded a white van in a parking lot in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park.

Hours earlier, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said authorities were looking for a white van after witnesses reported seeing the suspect fleeing the Alhambra in such a vehicle.

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The sheriff declined to say what weapons were found at the Alhambra. He said investigators believe the gun used in Monterey Park was not an assault rifle.

The shooting and manhunt unleashed a wave of fear in Asian American communities in the Los Angeles area and cast a shadow over Lunar New Year celebrations across the country.

Van surrounded by SWAT in Torrance, California on Sunday, January 22, 2023
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Monterey Park is a city of approximately 60,000 people on the eastern edge of Los Angeles populated mostly by Asian immigrants from China or first-generation Asian Americans. The shooting took place in the heart of the city, where red lanterns decorated the streets in honor of the Lunar New Year celebration. The police car was parked near a large banner reading “Happy Year of the Rabbit!”

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The shooting took place at the Star Ballroom, a few blocks from City Hall on Monterey Park’s main street, Garvey Avenue, dotted with small business malls with signs written in English and Chinese. Cantonese and Mandarin are widely spoken, Chinese holidays are celebrated, and Chinese films are regularly shown in the city.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.