On Saturday, Jan. 21, a gunman killed 10 individuals and wounded 10 extra in a taking pictures in Monterey Park, CA, CNN confirmed. The taking pictures occurred at a dance studio close to the place the town’s Asian-American group was participating in a Lunar New Year celebration.
At this stage, it is unclear if the mass taking pictures was a hate crime, however the motive continues to be being investigated. Since the taking pictures occurred, the AAPI group has been rocked. On Sunday, regulation enforcement officers launched a photograph of the suspect, who seemed to be an Asian male. However, the suspect’s identify was not launched. Per CNN, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna stated that whilst regulation enforcement continues to search for the suspect, they’re additionally on the lookout for methods to assist these affected by tragedy. “As we’re on the lookout for the suspect, we is not going to overlook the victims and survivors,” he stated.
In the wake of the mass taking pictures, anti-Asian hate coalition Stop AAPI Hate launched an announcement to the press. “After a day of celebration, we’re waking as much as a nightmare. This is devastating past phrases,” the assertion learn. “We can’t think about the ache that so many households are experiencing at the moment.”
They continued, “At Stop AAPI Hate, many individuals on our employees know this group properly and really feel related to it. Our hearts are with the family members of all these whose lives had been taken, those that had been injured, and the numerous others who had been shaken by worry that nobody ought to have needed to expertise. This great act of violence, on some of the necessary days of the yr for a lot of Asian Americans, at a spot the place Asian American households come to collect and rejoice, is sending shockwaves by means of our group. As we wrestle to course of the ache, we should additionally work to stop this from ever occurring once more.”
Since the information of the tragedy broke, celebrities and politicians together with Vice President Kamala Harris, Simu Liu, and Ken Jeong have all spoken out in regards to the mindless tragedy and supplied their assist to the victims and their households. Read their statements forward.