The US president, Joe Biden, said this Sunday that both he and the first lady, Jill Biden, pray for the victims of the shooting that took place on Saturday in Monterey Park, near Los Angeles, where ten people were killed and ten others were injured. .
"While there is still much we don’t know about the reason for this senseless attack, we know that many families are grieving tonight or praying for their loved one to recover from their injuries."he said in a statement released by the White House.
The president assured the citizens of Monterey Park and the area in general that federal and state authorities will support them "as much as possible".
Biden had indicated in the morning on Twitter that he was following the situation closely and encouraged the population to follow the instructions of local officials and law enforcement.
The shooting occurred around 10:22 p.m. local time on Saturday (06:22 GMT today, Sunday) in a dance hall in Monterey Park, about 13 kilometers east of Los Angeles.
In Monterey Park, where according to official data 65.5% of the residents are of Asian origin, thousands of people had gathered hours before to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The festival was scheduled to continue today, but has been cancelled.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre noted in the morning that Biden has requested "Full support" from the FBI to local authorities.
The first balance offered by Captain Andrew Meyer, of the Los Angeles police, pointed out that it was still too early to know if it was a hate crime.
The investigation into the event is still open. The Police believe that the perpetrator of the events is the same person who, some 20 minutes later, tried to attack another dance hall in the neighboring town of Alhambra, barely 5 kilometers away, and who was disarmed by those present before going to the police. escape without firing
The driver of a van cornered by the US Police in their investigation of the shooting in Monterey Park has been found lifeless inside the vehicle, according to the press, and they are waiting for law enforcement to confirm if it is the case. alleged perpetrator of the facts.