Two Taiwanese Americans were among those killed in a mass shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles (TECO LA) said it contacted local authorities, who confirmed that two of the 11 killed in the shooting were Taiwanese Americans.
“TECO LA conveys our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, and sends our prayers to the injured for a speedy recovery,” it said in a statement.
Photo: AFP
The office said it is assisting the relatives of one of the victims to travel from Taiwan to Los Angeles to help with funeral arrangements.
Taiwanese in southern California can access emergency consular assistance by calling the TECO LA’s hotline at +1-213-923-3591, or asking someone in Taiwan to call the ministry’s toll-free emergency contact number at 0800-085-095 on their behalf, the ministry said.
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna yesterday said that investigators had not yet established why the suspect, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, gunned down patrons at the ballroom dance hall he was said to frequent.
He used a semi-automatic pistol in the rampage, killing men and women in their 50s to 70s.
He then drove to another dance studio where police say only the quick actions of a young man who wrestled the weapon off him prevented another slaughter.
Hours later, Tran shot himself dead after police found his white van.
Additional reporting by AP and AFP
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