California police were called to respond to a shooting in Monterey Park near Los Angeles, where Chinese New Year celebrations were taking place, Reuters and the BBC reported. It is noted that at least nine people died.

UPDATED Nine people were killed in the armed attack, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department announced, as cited by Reuters. “There is no additional information available at this time.”

The source said the suspect was male, but it was not known if he was still at large.

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The incident happened on Saturday after 22:00 local time in Monterey Park, located about 13 kilometers from Los Angeles, where thousands of people had gathered to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Images posted on social media showed deserted streets surrounded by yellow police markings, police cars guarding the area, and emergency services personnel providing first aid to victims at the scene of the attack.

The LA Times quoted the owner of a nearby restaurant as saying that people hiding in his restaurant told him that a man with a machine gun was nearby. According to the LA Times, Soon Won Choi believed the attack happened at a dance club.

Other witnesses quoted by the LA Times said that the attack was carried out by a man armed with a machine gun, who, as soon as he finished the store of bullets, threw it away and got on another one, writes EFE, Agerpres reports. According to EFE, the LA Times also reported that “internal police reports indicated several deaths.”

The Lunar New Year Festival is a weekend-long event that attracts over 100,000 visitors. Saturday night’s festivities were supposed to end at 9:00 p.m. local time.

Monterey Park has a population of about 60,000 and is home to a large Asian community.

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