Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office
A MAN said to be responsible for a deadly shooting inside a Monterey Park dance student was found dead with self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police have identified the man as Hemet resident Huu Can Tran, 72.
Tran died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a strip mall parking lot near Sepulveda and Hawthorne boulevards in Torrance, law enforcement sources said.
“We still are not clear on the motive,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Two law enforcement sources said the suspect recently showed up to the Hemet police station saying his family was trying to poison him.
“The investigation continues … we want to know how something this awful can happen,” Luna said.
The manhunt for the shooter began after he opened fire inside Star Ballroom Dance Studio on West Garvey Avenue around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, killing 10 people and wounding 10 others. It was Lunar New Year’s Eve.
About 20 minutes after the shooting in Monterey Park, Tran walked into Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in nearby Alhambra, officials said. “The suspect walked in there, probably with the intent to kill two more people,” Luna said. “But two community members disarmed him, took possession of his weapon, and the suspect ran away.”
At 10:20 a.m. Sunday, police found the white cargo van that was seen leaving the scene of the shooting, Luna said. When officers left their patrol vehicle to make contact with the occupant, they heard one gunshot come from the van.
At 1 p.m., a SWAT team determined that the suspect had a self-inflicted gunshot wound and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The man inside the van was Tran, the mass shooting suspect, authorities said.
During the search of the van, several pieces of evidence were found, linking the suspect to both locations. A handgun was found inside the van, which had stolen license plates, authorities said.
“I can confirm that there are no outstanding suspects,” Luna said.
