a close-knit community
Residents gaze at several blocks sealed off with police tape in Monterey Park on Sunday. Chester Chong, president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, described the city of about 60,000 people as a quiet, peaceful, beautiful place where everyone knows each other and helps each other.
About 7 miles (11 km) from Downtown Los Angeles, the city has been a destination for immigrants from China for decades. About 65% of its residents are Asian, according to US Census data, and the city is known for its many Chinese restaurants and groceries.
“People were calling me last night, they were scared it was a hate crime,” Chong said at the scene.
Star Ballroom Dance Studio opened in 1990, and its website has many photos from previous Lunar New Year celebrations, showing people smiling and dancing in party clothes in its large, brightly lit ballroom.
Most of its patrons are middle-aged or elderly, although children also attend youth dance classes, according to a teacher at the studio, who asked not to be named.
“They are normal working people,” said the teacher. “Some are retired and just looking for exercise or social interaction.”
A flyer posted on the website advertised a Saturday night New Year’s party, which runs from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
According to 30-year-old Tiffany Chiu, who was celebrating at her parents’ house near the ballroom, some people mistook it for New Year’s fireworks.