Crime & Justice

‘Hero’ Good Samaritans Wrestled Gun From California Mass Shooter

‘COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE’

Police and officials have credited the two individuals, who have not yet been identified, for saving many more lives.

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Alan Devall/Reuters

California officials are heralding the efforts of two community members who were able to disarm the 72-year-old shooter who killed 10 people and wounded 10 others late Saturday at a dance studio. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed two good Samaritans disarmed the suspect, identified as Huu Can Tran, at a dance studio in Alhambra, California, shortly after he carried out the ballroom shooting in Monterey Park on Saturday. “He was disarmed by two community members who I consider to be heroes, because they saved lives, this could have been much worse,” Sheriff Luna said, describing the weapon recovered at the second scene as a “magazine-fed semiautomatic assault pistol that had an extended, large capacity magazine attached to it.” After he was disarmed, the suspect then ran away. Luna said the Alhambra incident happened “within 20 to 30 minutes” of the mass shooting and that the suspect walked in “with an intent to kill more people.” He apparently left a number of pieces of evidence that led police to connect both locations to the suspect, cops said. Tran later shot himself in a parking lot as police approached. State Sen. Susan Rubio joined Luna in commending those who “tackled the gun away from the second incident, because we would be standing here with a lot more tragedy.” Rubio said the city hoped to honor them “at some point in the near future.”

County and Community Leaders will discuss the recent mass shooting that occurred in Monterey Park.

Posted by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Sunday, January 22, 2023