10 killed in shooting near Los Angeles

Police stand guard at the scene along Garvey Avenue in Monterey Park, California Sunday. Pic/AFP

Ten people were killed in a mass shooting in the city of Monterey Park, California, at a ballroom dance venue late on Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. The suspected gunman fled the scene, and police were still trying to find him, the department said early on Sunday morning. There was no information yet about a motive for the attack, the department added.

Another 10 people were taken to local hospitals to be treated for injuries, and at least one was in critical condition. The shooting took place after 10 p.m. (0600 GMT on Sunday) around the location of a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration held in Monterey Park, U.S. media reported.

Monterey Park is a city of about 60,000 people with a large Asian population that's about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from downtown Los Angeles.

Seung Won Choi, who owns the Clam House seafood barbecue restaurant across the street from where the shooting happened, told the Los Angles Times that three people rushed into his business and told him to lock the door. The people also told Choi that there was a shooter with a machine gun who had multiple rounds of ammunition on him so he could reload.

Footage posted on social media showed injured people on stretchers being taken to ambulances by emergency staff. "Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones tonight in our neighbouring city, Monterey Park, where a mass shooting just occurred," Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia said in a tweet.

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