We reported on a press conference from Monterey Park earlier - and here's a video of one of the key moments.

LA County sheriff Robert Luna said preliminary findings suggested that the suspect, who is still on the run, was an Asian male.

He emphasised several times that this was a very early suggestion, and that police had received several different descriptions from eyewitnesses.

A further update is expected in a few hours time.

Regan Morris, Monterey Park

Image source, .

A “Happy Year of The Rabbit” sign hangs above the police blockade in Monterey Park.

The main drag through town - Garvey Avenue - was already partially shut for Lunar New Year festivities, which now have been cancelled.

Tents were set up in the street, ready to sell food and treats for the festival.

Most businesses remained closed or blocked off early Sunday as a handful of locals gathered in shock by the ballroom dance hall.

Chester Chong, the chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles, said he’s heard from so many shocked people in the community. He’s worried about his friend who owns the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where the shooting occurred.

Mr Chong said many women were there dancing and that their husbands who didn’t attend were calling, looking for their wives.

He says Monterey Park is normally a safe place but that there are too many guns and too many drugs in Los Angeles and the United States.

“Only police should have guns,” he told the BBC. “This should not happen.”

The press conference by Monterey Park officials has now ended.

Here is what we learned:

• At least five men and five women have died as a result of the attack, with several others recovering in hospital

• Details on the suspect remain scant, but the gunman is said to be an man between 30 and 50 years old. Preliminary information suggests that he is Asian.
• He remains at large.
• Officials have not yet ruled out the possibility of a hate crime
• They are investigating possible links between the shooting and the Lunar New Year celebrations that were taking place in the area on Saturday night
• They are also looking into a separate incident that took place 20 minutes later in the adjacent neighbourhood of Alhambra, with no casualties.
• Investigators say the two incidents may be related.
• They say a white cargo van was spotted in the Alhambra area but they don't know if it's connected to the shooting.

Of the ten people killed in the shooting, five were males and five were females, Luna says.

He adds that their ages are not yet known.

Image source, EPA

When asked about the incident in nearby Alhambra, county sheriff Robert Luna says authorities believe it may be related to the shooting in Monterey Park.

Describing what he knows to reporters, Luna added: "A male Asian suspect walked into a dancehall with a firearm. Some individuals wrestled the firearm away from him, and he then left the scene."

Asked whether police think the shooting was a hate crime, Luna says: "Everything is on the table. We don't know if this is specifically a hate crime, defined by law.

"The description we have now is of a male Asian. Does that matter? I don't know. Our detectives are looking at every possibility."

He adds that the current estimate for the age of suspect was between 30 and 50.

"There is a wide range," he says.

Congresswoman Judy Chu describes the thousands of people who had gathered in the area before the shooting to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

"It is horrible that such a thing could occur at a time of celebration for so many in the [Asian American] community," she says.

"This is a time to be with family, to celebrate, and yet this tore a whole through all of our hearts.

"But let me say, I have lived in this city for 37 years..., and I known how strong Monterey Park is.

"What I know about the people here is that we will get through this together."

Image source, EPA

It remains unclear whether the shooting is connected to the Lunar New Year celebrations, Luna says.

They "may or may not be" connected, he says.

The preliminary information suggests the suspect in the shooting is an Asian male, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna says and adds he is still at large.

He adds that police have received different descriptions of the suspect.

"We are utilising every resource to apprehend this suspect," he says.

A press conference outside the Monterey Park City Hall is now under way.

Stay with us for any updates on the shooting and police investigation.

President Biden has said he is monitoring the situation in Monterey Park closely.

In a statement on Twitter, he said: "Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in last night’s deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park.

"I'm monitoring this situation closely as it develops, and urge the community to follow guidance from local officials and law enforcement in the hours ahead."

Whilst we're waiting for the press conference to get going, here's a reminder of what we currently know:

• Ten people were killed after a gunman opened fire at a ballroom dance studio in the city of Monterey Park, California
• At least ten others were injured, with their conditions ranging from stable to critical
• A male suspect fled the scene and remains at large
• The area has a high Asian-American population, although police say the motive for the shooting remains unclear

Image source, .

We're expecting a press conference giving updates on the shooting and police investigation to get underway soon.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna will speak to reporters in front of Monterey Park City Hall.

The state's Attorney General Matt Platkin says "I am coordinating closely with law enforcement across NJ to increase our security presence around celebrations throughout the state"

New Jersey is among those with the largest Asian American populations.

He adds "Though there are no known threats to NJ, we will remain vigilant and stand with our AAPI [Asian American and Pacific Islanders] community."

Mass shooting and gun violence are a "plague on our communities", the mayor of LA has said.

In a statement on Twitter, Karen Bass wrote: "The reports coming out of Monterey Park are absolutely devastating.

"Families deserve to celebrate the holidays in peace - mass shootings and gun violence are a plague on our communities.

"As investigations determine whether these murders were motivated by Asian hate, we continue to stand united against all attempts to divide us.

"My heart goes out to Monterey Park and the families and friends of those lost."

Peter Bowes
North America correspondent

The police say when officers arrived at the ballroom, at a business location in the city, people were pouring out into the street.

Many were screaming.

Ten were pronounced dead at the scene and about another ten people were taken to hospital. Officials say there's no information about the motive for the attack and that the suspect is still at large.

It happened as people in the neighbourhood were celebrating the Lunar New Year. Monterey Park is on the outskirts of Los Angeles and about two thirds of its residents are Asian.

The annual New Year festival was in full swing nearby, and while the shooting did not occur at the event, officials say as a safety precaution the second day of the festival has been cancelled.

Last night's shooting was a "horrific act of gun violence", California's governor has said.

In a statement on Twitter, Gavin Newsom said: "Monterey Park should have had a night of joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year. Instead, they were the victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence.

"Our hearts mourn as we learn more about the devastating acts of last night.

"We are monitoring the situation closely."

Alexandria Hernandez, a journalist with Fox News, reports that an assault rifle has been recovered from the scene of one of last night's shootings.

Image source, Getty Images

As we reported earlier, Sunday's Lunar New Year festival events have been cancelled following last night's shooting.

The City of Monterey Park has issued a statement expressing condolences to those injured in the "tragic incident", while stating that the incident did not take place at the festival.

Saturday's events were due to end at 9pm local time, and police confirmed the shooting happened at about 10.22pm.

"Even though the incident did not occur at the 2023 Lunar New Year Festival, an active investigation is currently under way and the area near and around the festival is affected," the statement said.

"As a precaution and for the safety of everyone, the City regrets to announce the cancellation of the second day of the festival, which was scheduled for today, Sunday, January 22."

Californian Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents Monterey Park, has also expressed her condolences to those affected by the shooting.

"My heart is broken for the victims, their families, and the people of my hometown Monterey Park who were impacted by the mass shooting that took place during a night of Lunar New Year celebrations," she tweeted., external

"I am closely following the situation."

Chu formerly served as the city's mayor for three terms before becoming the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress in 2009.