Death toll in Monterey Park mass shooting rises to 11

Monterey Park victim Valentino Alvero was a United States citizen of Filipino descent, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles said in a statement Monday that expressed "shock and great sadness" over the mass shooting that claimed 11 lives.

Alvero, 68, was earlier identified as one of the victims by the Los Angeles County Coroner's office.

The Philippine consulate said it is ready to assist Alvero's family should they reach out for any help. 

"Our prayers go out to the families of the victims and we mourn with them during this lunar new year festival, which is supposed to be a time of gathering and celebration," the statement said.

The consulate also called on the community to "exercise all caution and continue being vigilant during these uncertain times."

The victims: As of Monday night, four of the 11 victims have been named by authorities. They include three women: Xiujuan Yu, 57, Mymy Nhan, 65, and Lilan Li, 63.

Officials have not yet released the names of the other three women and four men killed in the attack, but they have provided general age ranges. Of those not identified yet, three were in their 60s and four were in their 70s.

At least seven people are dead and one person is critically injured after shootings in two locations in Half Moon Bay, California on Monday night, according to authorities.

Dave Pine, San Mateo Board of Supervisors president, told CNN the suspect has been apprehended and is a 67-year-old man who lives in Half Moon Bay.

One shooting took place at a mushroom farm and another near a trucking facility, approximately 2 miles from the farm.

Deputies found four victims dead and one wounded upon arrival at the first location, and soon after, three more dead victims were found at a separate site, San Mateo Sheriff Christina Corpus said at a news briefing.

This incident comes just two days after at least 11 people were killed in the mass shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was meeting with victims of the mass shooting in Monterey Park when he was pulled away to be briefed on the shooting in Half Moon Bay. 

“At the hospital meeting with victims of a mass shooting when I get pulled away to be briefed about another shooting. This time in Half Moon Bay. Tragedy upon tragedy,” Newsom said in a tweet.

There have now been 38 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023, according to the nonprofit organization Gun Violence Archive — more than there have been at this point in any year on record. 

Read CNN's live coverage of the Half Moon Bay shooting here.

Brandon Tsay, the man who disarmed Monterey Park suspect Huu Can Tran, said he had never held a gun prior to his altercation on Saturday.

Tran, who was pronounced dead Sunday following a self-inflicted gunshot wound, is suspected of killing 11 people and wounding nine others in a shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California on Saturday.

Following the massacre, the 72-year-old gunman walked into the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in nearby Alhambra, California — a moment Tsay said initially made him freeze up.

"He had a gun pointed at me. It seemed like he was trying to scout out the room for other people," Tsay said. "He didn't say anything at all, he was silent, even stoic, very scary that he wasn’t even saying anything or giving me any instructions."

When it seemed like the gunman was preparing to fire his weapon, Tsay said he sprang into action.

Realizing the gunman was distracted, Tsay said he lunged at him with both arms and grabbed his weapon.

"I would say the struggle lasted 40 seconds," Tsay said. "But it felt like way longer, it felt like an eternity with the adrenaline and my thoughts."

Tsay said he was able to yank the gun away, then pointed the weapon at the gunman and told him to leave, threatening to shoot him.

"I thought I would actually have to kill him," Tsay said. "Yes, I was prepared to fire but I didn't want to shoot him anywhere that would be fatal. I wanted to see if I could aim at the legs over the arms. Something that would stop him from trying to cover the gun."

Asked if he ever thought he was capable of shooting someone, Tsay said:

"If I was to view my past experiences, it seems like I would have more of a flight response, to run away. But now that I see that in this situation, my character and my mentality is totally different," he said.

Tsay has been hailed as a hero for his actions.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted a picture of his meeting with Tsay simply saying: "This is what a hero looks like."

Tsay said he understands the responsibility of the word "hero."

Officials are still investigating many of the details of the mass shooting Saturday that left 11 people dead in Monterey Park, California.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna and several other officials provided updates Monday while acknowledging they still don't have a motive for the rampage at a dance studio.

What we know so far is that the 72-year-old gunman walked into Star Ballroom Dance Studio in the Los Angeles neighborhood and opened fire shortly after a Lunar New Year celebration. The man then drove to a second dance hall in neighboring Alhambra where he entered with a firearm but fled after being disarmed, officials said.

The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday when his vehicle was approached by police officers.

Here's what else we learned:

• The victims: Four of the 11 victims have been named so far. They are Xiujuan Yu, a 57-year-old woman, Valentino Alvero, a 68-year-old man, Mymy Nhan, a 65-year-old woman, and Lilan Li, a 63-year-old woman the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said. Officials said they are still working to notify the families of the other victims before identifying them.
• The scene at the dance studio: The gunman fired 42 rounds of ammunition from a high-capacity handgun at the dance hall in Monterey Park, according to Luna. The sheriff said officials believe one person was shot outside of the studio in a vehicle before the gunman continued his rampage inside. Luna said they are "still putting it all together," including determining if the shooting was planned.
• Search of the suspect's home: Investigators found a "few items of interest" at the shooter's mobile home — some of which led officials to believe he was "manufacturing homemade firearm suppressors," Luna said. Officials also found "hundreds of rounds of ammunition." The items, which now need to be thoroughly tested, according to the sheriff, were gathered from a search warrant that was executed earlier Monday.
• No motive yet: The gunman's motive is still unknown, several officials said. The suspect had a "limited criminal history," according to the sheriff, noting an arrest in 1990 for unlawful possession of a firearm. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said he believes the shooting seems to have been targeted, pointing to the fact that the gunman was "very familiar" with the dance studio where the shooting took place. People who knew the gunman told CNN that he used to go to the studio frequently.
• Mass shootings in America: There have been 36 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023. That's more than there have been at this point in any year on record. The shooting in Monterey Park was the deadliest attack since the Uvalde massacre in May 2022.

At least one Chinese citizen was killed in the Monterey Park mass shooting on Saturday, the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles said in a statement.

The statement didn’t specify how many Chinese citizens were among the 11 victims. 

“The serious shooting incident in the Chinese community is shocking and deeply regrettable,” the Chinese Consulate said in the statement. The Chinese embassy and consulates in the US were ordered to lower their flags to half-staff.

The consulate also reminded Chinese citizens in its consular district to “raise risk awareness, strengthen security precautions, and ensure their own safety," according to the statement.