US: Multiple casualties reported after shooting near Lunar Year celebrations in California

Washington: Police were responding to reports of a shooting that resulted in multiple casualties in California’s Monterey Park on Saturday night, Los Angeles Times reported citing a law enforcement source.

The shooting took place near the site of a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration after 10 pm (local time), as per the news report. Tens of thousands of people had gathered on Saturday for the start of a two-day festival. It is one of the largest Lunar New Year events in the area, as per the Los Angeles Times report. Internal police communications have revealed that there have been some fatalities.

Earlier in the day, people were enjoying skewers and shopping for Chinese food and jewellery. The New Year festivities were scheduled from 10 am to 9 pm. Videos that have surfaced on social media showed the presence of police and fire units on Garvey Avenue and treating victims. Injured people were moved to multiple hospitals in the region, Los Angeles Times reported.

Seung Won Choi, who owns the Clam House seafood barbecue across the street from where the shooting took place said that three people rushed into his restaurant and told him to lock the door, Los Angeles Times reported. As per the news report, the three people told him that there was a man with a machine gun in the region. According to Choi, people also told him that the shooter had multiple rounds of ammunition on him.