The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is investigating an incident in Alhambra that could be related to the Saturday night Monterey Park shooting that left at least 10 people dead.
A sign on the door at Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio in Alhambra on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Someone entered the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio, 121 S Garfield Ave., with a firearm about 17 to 20 minutes after the Monterey Park crime, which occurred at 10:20 p.m., LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a news conference on Sunday morning, Jan. 22.
People were able to wrestle the firearm away, Luna said.
Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio in Alhambra on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
“San Gabriel Valley residents are deeply invested in keeping one another safe,” Alhambra City Councilmember Sasha Renée Pérez said in a Sunday tweet. “It doesn’t shock me at all that our community would see a shooter approaching and intervene. I’m grateful to those who risked their lives in an attempt to apprehend the gunman and remove his gun.”
There was an attempted shooting at a dance hall in Alhambra last night. Individuals saw the shooter and attempted to apprehend him, taking away the firearm he was carrying. He fled. We’re still awaiting details and confirmation that this event is connected to Monterey Park.
— Sasha Renée Pérez (@SashaReneePerez) January 22, 2023
The suspect fled from the scene after being disarmed, Luna said, and witnesses reported seeing a white cargo van in the area.
“That white van should be considered of interest at this point,” the sheriff said, though he didn’t provide additional details about the make or model.
The LASD, Monterey Park Police Department, Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office of Emergency Services, and the FBI are investigating whether the two crimes are related.
The Monterey Park shooting took place during the city’s Lunar New Year celebration in a ballroom at 122 W. Garvey Ave., near the intersection of Garvey and Garfield avenues. That location is about a ten-minute drive from the Alhambra dance hall.
“We believe that (the) incident may be related,” Luna said. “We’re not quite there yet, but it’s definitely on our radar screen.”
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Additional updates about the Monterey Park shooting are expected later today.