Robert Luna, sheriff of Los Angeles County, stated on Monday that Huu Can Tran's motivations for his atrocity during the Lunar New Year were still unknown.
Investigators, on the other hand, raced to figure out why a 72-year-old shooter opened fire in a California dance club frequented by elderly patrons, killing 10 people before killing himself hours later.
The 10 victims he killed on Saturday night at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, about 7 miles (11 km) east of downtown Los Angeles, remain unidentified as of Monday.
By late Sunday, 10 more people had been hurt, and seven of them were still in hospitals.
As Tran entered a different dance club in the neighbouring city of Alhambra around 20 minutes after the shooting in Monterey Park, Luna claims that Tran's rampage could have been much worse.
“There, two patrons wrestled a weapon away from the septuagenarian before he could get a shot off. Tran then fled.
“I can tell you that the suspect walked in there, probably with the intent to kill more people, and two brave community members decided they were going to jump into action and disarm him.’’
Luna explained that about 12 hours later, police officers in the city of Torrance, 20 miles southwest of Monterey Park, approached a white cargo van Tran was driving. As officers neared the van, they heard a single gunshot from inside when Tran killed himself.
Luna did not identify any of the victims but said the five men and five women appeared to be in their 50s, 60s and beyond.
The sheriff said the pistol Tran used was likely illegal in California, where state laws ban any magazine holding more than 10 rounds.
“We want to know, we want to know how something this awful can happen,” Luna told reporters.
The shooting took place around the location of a two-day Chinese Lunar New Year celebration where many downtown streets are closed for festivities that draw thousands of people from across Southern California.
As news about the shooting spread, some in the tight-knit community of Monterey Park feared it was a hate crime targeting Asians.
The city has for decades been a destination for immigrants from China. Around 65 per cent of its residents are Asian, according to U.S. Census data.
Chester Chong, chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, described the city of about 60,000 people as a quiet, peaceful, beautiful place where everybody knows each other and helps each other.
“People were calling me last night, they were scared this was a hate crime,” Chong said at the scene.
The gunshots were mistaken for some New Year fireworks, according to Tiffany Chiu, 30, who was celebrating at her parent’s home near the ballroom.
“A lot of older people live here, it’s usually really quiet. This is not something you expect here.’’ (Reuters/NAN)