Bloodshed in California

Journalist Zahra Bandukwala reports upon ongoing gun violence in The States, turning moments of celebration into horrendous tragedy.

Monterey Park

Lunar New Year 2023: Year of the Rabbit. A celebration of the arrival of spring and the start of a new year in East Asia. A symbol of good fortune, prosperity and joy The colour red adorning streets and houses; red lanterns swinging on doorways, signifying good health and vitality.

On the other side of the world, the colour red drenched the floors of the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park where eleven people were brutally murdered at the hands of a 72 year-old gunman who opened fire during a celebration of the Lunar New Year on Sunday, 22nd of January, 2023 at around 22:22 local time. Another 10 people were also wounded in the shooting. Approximately half an hour later, the man responsible for the deadly attack, Huu Can Tran, arrived at the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio in Alhambra. He entered the studio but two people were able to disarm him and take possession of the weapon before he escaped.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna reported that the weapon used was a semi-automatic assault pistol with an extended magazine. This particular firearm with an extended magazine is illegal to possess in California

Authorities scoured the area in search of the gunman for hours before a SWAT team located a white van in Torrance at around 13:00 local time on Monday. It was determined that the suspect had a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene soon after.

Half Moon Bay

A spate of shootings in California has resulted in the loss of multiple lives with the latest tragedy occurring in the coastal community of Half Moon Bay, merely a day after the horrific shooting at Monterey Park studios and a week after the