Two of the ten fatalities from the Monterey Park, California, shooting on Saturday night have been identified by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.
My Nhan, 65, and Lilan Li, 63, were slain, according to a statement from the coroner’s office that PEOPLE was able to receive.
According to authorities, the shooting at Star Dance Studio at around 10:20 p.m. claimed the lives of five women and five men. Saturday. According to police, nine of the ten victims were in their 60s or 70s and one was in her 50s.
The coroner’s office has identified every victim, but has withheld their names until their next of kin have been notified.
“We are starting the Lunar New Year broken. We never imagined her life would end so suddenly,” the statement read.
“Mymy was 65 years old. If you knew her, you knew her warm smile and kindness was contagious. She was a loving aunt, sister, daughter and friend. Mymy was our biggest cheerleader.”
Nhan’s family said she liked travelling to the studio where she was fatally shot in a message posted on Twitter by Tiffany Liou, a reporter for Dallas TV station WFAA whose husband is Nhan’s aunt.
After a day-long search, the 72-year-old gunman was discovered dead on Sunday in Torrance, roughly 30 miles away. After police utilised armoured vehicles to locate the white van he was driving at the time, he shot himself dead.
Mymy Nhan was the first person shot and killed during the #MontereyPark mass shooting.
I've covered a lot of tragedies, and never imagined one would hit so close to home.
My husband's family is hurting beyond measure.
Here's a statement on behalf of the family. pic.twitter.com/q5GXa0g4Kh— Tiffany Liou (@tliou) January 23, 2023
After shooting at Star Dance Studio, the shooter entered Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in nearby Alhambra with a gun, but was confronted and disarmed by two persons there.
Sheriff Robert Luna of Los Angeles County claimed that the shooter “was disarmed by two neighbourhood residents who I admire for saving lives. Much worse things may have happened.”
The attack took place the night before the Lunar New Year, a significant celebration in many Asian communities. Tens of thousands of people had congregated in the area earlier in the day to observe the holiday.
The shooting spree took place in Monterey Park, which has a population of roughly 60,000 people, 65% of whom are Asian.
