Police said ten people were killed in a mass shooting late Saturday night (local time) in a city east of Los Angeles following a Lunar New Year celebration that was attended by thousands.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting was reported at 10:22 p.m. and took place in the Garvey Avenue office in Monterey Park. The perpetrator is a man, and he is still on the run.

Officials did not release any information for several hours after dozens of police officers responded to reports of gunshots.

Monterey Park is a city of approximately 60,000 people with a large Asian population located about 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

A restaurant owner across the street from where the shooting took place told the Los Angeles Times that three men broke into his establishment and ordered him to lock the door.

The people also told him that there was one with a machine gun that had some rounds in it so that it could be reloaded. The owner said he believed the shooting happened at a dance club.

Saturday marked the start of the two-day festival, which is one of the biggest Lunar New Year events in Southern California.

Source: Associated Press.