MONTEREY PARK (CNS) – The city of Monterey Park will host a candlelight vigil Tuesday evening to mark the second anniversary of a mass shooting in the city that left 11 people dead.
According to the city, the event will honor the memory of those who died in the Jan. 21, 2023, shooting, while also giving people a chance to “stand together against violence.”
“The vigil will feature reflections from community leaders and will include organizations involved in healing efforts,” according to the city. “Attendees are invited to bring flowers or memorial items to place near the flagpoles in front of City Hall.”
The memorial items will remain on display until Jan. 30.
On Jan. 21, 2023, gunman Huu Can Tran entered Star Ballroom Dance Studio and opened fire, killing 11 and seriously wounding nine others.
The shooter then went to Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra and attempted to enter before he was stopped by Brandon Tsay, a young man lauded as a life-saving hero for confronting and disarming the gunman.
The gunman, 72, killed himself the following day after he was pulled over by police outside a Torrance strip mall.
“Today, I mourn and honor the 11 lives lost, all of Asian descent, and hold their memory close,” Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, said in a statement Tuesday. “My heart is with the victims*’ families and survivors as they continue to navigate the grief and trauma of that day. What should have been a joyous Lunar New Year celebration — a cherished time for the Asian American community — was tragically overshadowed by a night of senseless violence that altered our community forever.”
The mass shooting was the deadliest in L.A. County history — and occurred on the eve of the Lunar New Year in a community that is majority Asian American and is considered the first suburban Chinatown in the nation.
Following the shooting, then-President Joe Biden visited Monterey Park, consoled the victims’ families and announced executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence. He also took time during his State of the Union speech on Feb. 7, 2023, to call for increased gun control.
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