On Monday, law enforcement officials revealed chilling new details about California’s ballroom massacre, including information about how the killer fired at least 42 times and had a stash of “hundreds of rounds’’ of more ammo at his home, authorities said.
The mass shooter, identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, was armed with a 9mm caliber, semiautomatic Mac-10 assault weapon when he arrived at Star Ballroom Dance Studio, spraying bullets into a crowded hall at a Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday evening.
During a Monday afternoon press conference, law enforcement officials did not disclose a possible motive for the slaughter, which left 11 dead, stating that they don’t have any solid theories yet but are continuing to investigate different leads.
When asked whether the gunman knew his victims, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna replied, “We’re hearing there were possible relationships there, but I’m not going to confirm that yet because that’s part of everything we’re looking at.”
One police source had told LA Magazine that the mass shooter was hunting for his wife at the time of the bloodbath in a possible jealous fit of rage.
While Luna said that his office had heard the theory and are investigating, they have been unable to confirm it during the latest news conference.
On Sunday night, investigators searched the home of the killer, finding evidence that he was apparently making “firearm suppressors” inside his trailer home. They also recovered a 308-caliber rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and numerous electronics including cell phones and computers from Tran’s home.
Earlier in the day, Tran shot and killed himself in his van after he was approached by police officers in Torrance, Calif. Officers recovered a Norinco 7.6 X 2 handgun from the vehicle. Tran had been arrested in 1990 for illegal weapons possession but otherwise had a “limited criminal history,” Luna said.
Ten victims were pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, and on Monday an 11th died of her injuries in the hospital. Police said that Tran went to a second location after the shooting, intending to kill more. When he stormed Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio nearby, however, he was disarmed by 26-year-old Brandon Tsay, which prevented any further bloodshed.
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