By Aditi Sangal, Matt Meyer, Maureen Chowdhury, Veronica Rocha, Seán Federico O'Murchú and Meg Wagner, CNN
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has released photos of the suspect in the Monterey Park mass shooting.
Sheriff Robert Luna tweeted photos of the man and noted that investigators identified him as a homicide suspect who should be considered "armed and dangerous."
View the tweet:
From CNN’s Josh Campbell and Paul P. Murphy
There is an ongoing police standoff in Torrance, California, that is believed to be associated with the investigation into the Monterey Park shooting, a law enforcement source tells CNN.
Torrance is a city in Los Angeles County's South Bay region, located about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park.
An employee at a store across the street from the standoff told CNN they were told to lockdown.
The employee said they have been on lockdown since around 11:45 a.m. local time, when a police officer came in and told them to remain inside. The employee said the entire shopping complex, which includes a PetSmart, Walmart and Hobby Lobby — in addition to other smaller stores — is locked down.
Customers and employees are currently hunkered down inside the store until they receive an all clear.
From CNN's Natasha Chen in Monterey Park, Calif. and Michelle Watson
Stop AAPI Hate released a statement following the mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, that killed 10 people Saturday night, calling it "a nightmare."
“After a day of celebration, we are waking up to a nightmare. This is devastating beyond words," the coalition said in a Sunday news release. "We cannot imagine the pain that so many families are experiencing today."
"At Stop AAPI Hate, many people on our staff know this community well and feel connected to it. Our hearts are with the loved ones of all those whose lives were taken, those who were injured, and the countless others who were shaken by fear that no one should have had to experience," the statement continues.
"This tremendous act of violence, on one of the most important days of the year for many Asian Americans, at a place where Asian American families come to gather and celebrate, is sending shockwaves through our community," the statement continues. "As we struggle to process the pain, we must also work to prevent this from ever happening again.”
Stop AAPI Hate describes itself as, "a national coalition addressing anti-Asian racism across the U.S."
While police have not disclosed any motive for the attack in Monterey Park, it has been felt deeply in the Asian American community. The city is home to one of the largest Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the US.
From the CNN Digital Photo Team
Five men and five women were killed in a mass shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, Saturday night, authorities said. The gunman remains at large.
Here are some of the scenes from around the community, located in Los Angeles County's San Gabriel Valley, as the investigation continued Sunday:
From CNN staff
Authorities are scrambling to find a gunman who killed 10 people Saturday night in Monterey Park, California, as the city’s large Asian American community was celebrating Lunar New Year weekend.
Another 10 people were wounded and hospitalized, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Here's what we know about the deadly shooting:
From CNN's Melissa Alonso
It's still too soon to rule out hate crime as a possible motive for the deadly Monterey Park, California, mass shooting, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Sunday.
"We don't know if this is specifically a hate crime defined by law," Luna said at a briefing on the mass shooting.
The attack happened at a ballroom near a Lunar New Year event Saturday night.
"Everything's on the table," Luna said of the ongoing investigation. "But, who walks into a dance hall and guns down 20 people?" the sheriff questioned.
"The description we have now is of a male Asian — does that matter? I don't know," said Luna. "I can tell you that everything's on the table," he emphasized.
"Our detectives are looking at every possibility with our partners," the sheriff added.
According to Luna, the sheriff's department is working on an updated suspect description and expects to release that at some point Sunday.
He said at the briefing that investigators had received differing descriptions of the shooter from witnesses. The only other information he could provide as of late Sunday morning was that the gunman was believed to be 30 to 50 years old.
Monterey Park is a predominantly Asian community, and instructors at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio told CNN the venue was a gathering place for the local Chinese community.
From CNN's Jeffrey Winter
Dance instructors at Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, called the venue a gathering place for the local Chinese community.
The studio hosts a variety of classes and private lessons, which instructor Oleksandr Kamniev said focus on ballroom dancing and Latin standards. The studio also rented out its ballroom space — which has an area for karaoke — for private parties.
"For parties, it's a big thing," Kamniev said, adding that sometimes as many as 300 people attended. "A lot of Chinese people love to come here."
Kamniev estimated "99%" of Star's dance students were Chinese, and ranged in age from 4 to 75. Sundays, he said, were usually kids' days at the studio.
According to a CNN analysis, Saturday's mass shooting took place in the Star Ballroom Dance Studio. Ten people were killed and 10 others were wounded in the shooting, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Kamniev and his wife, Kateryna Kamnieva, taught Latin dancing at the studio for several years. They were not present at the shooting.
Kamniev and his wife said they believed the studio owner was at the venue Saturday night. They said they reached out to her and were waiting to hear back when they spoke with CNN.
From CNN's Michelle Watson
Rep. Judy Chu, who represents Monterey Park, California, praised the first responders and honored the victims of a Saturday night mass shooting that left 10 people dead.
"My thoughts and condolences go to the victims of this horrific crime," Chu said.
"This could have been so much worse — only hours earlier, all of us were together only one block away at the Lunar New Year festival," she said, while thanking first responders and local authorities. "All of us standing right here were there, and there were thousands there."
"It's horrible that such a thing could occur at a time of celebration for so many in the AAPI community and in the Asian community worldwide," she added. "This is a time to be with family, to celebrate, and yet this tore a hole through all of our hearts."
Despite the tragedy, Chu, who said she's been a resident of the area for 37 years, knows how strong the community is.
"Monterey Park is resilient. And what I know about the people here is that we will get through this together," the lawmaker said.
The city is a predominantly Asian community and had plans for major Lunar New Year celebrations to continue through Sunday. Those plans have been scrapped, the city said.
From CNN's Jasmine Wright
President Joe Biden said he is monitoring the aftermath of the mass shooting that killed 10 people in Monterey Park, California, “closely as it develops,” in Sunday morning tweet.
“Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in last night’s deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park,” the president said. “I’m monitoring this situation closely as it develops, and urge the community to follow guidance from local officials and law enforcement in the hours ahead.”
The White House announced earlier that the president was briefed by Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and that he directed her to “make sure that the FBI is providing full support to local authorities,” while providing him regular updates.
The Bidens remain at their vacation home in Rehoboth Beach and are expected to return to Washington, DC, on Monday.
