The death toll from Saturday’s mass shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, rose to 11 on Monday as investigators looked into the gunman’s background to find an explanation for the massacre, the Associated Press reports.
According to the initial reports from the authorities, the shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio resulted in ten fatalities and at least ten injuries. However, an additional death was confirmed on Monday by LAC+USC Medical Center, which treated four of the ten injured.
“Our heroic staff at LAC+USC Medical Center have worked tirelessly to care for the four victims entrusted to our care. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we are saddened to share that one of the victims has succumbed to their extensive injuries. We want to express our deepest sympathies to their families and loved ones,” the hospital said according to CNN.
Investigators are looking into the background of Huu Can Tran, a 72-year-old identified as the gunman who opened fire on revelers in the city with a large Asian American population as they were celebrating the Lunar New Year.
Tran then went to another dance studio in nearby Alhambra but was tackled and disarmed by courageous civilians. He fled the scene and was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound a day later in a van about 30 miles away.
There are as yet few clues as to the shooter’s motivation, an elderly Chinese immigrant described as having an interest in dance and a hot temper.
All ten people initially reported dead – five men and five women – were over 50, with nine in their 60s and 70s.
The massacre, one of at least 36 mass shootings in the United States this month, specifically targeted members of the Asian community, which has seen an increase in deadly attacks and harassment since the Covid-19 pandemic began.