Seven Dead in Monterey Park and Northern California Mass Shootings: US Facing an Epidemic of Gun Violence

Communities across the United States are facing a new reality as mass shootings become increasingly common. On Saturday night, seven people were killed in Monterey Park, California, while celebrating the Lunar New Year at a ballroom dance hall. The victims ranged in age from 57 to 76.

Monterey Park Chief Scott Wiese defended his decision not to warn the public for hours that a killer was on the loose, saying he didn’t have enough information to effectively alert residents. Wiese said police in the region were alerted and it didn’t make sense to send out a warning at night to residents in the predominantly Asian American city even after learning the suspect may have targeted a nearby dance club after the massacre.

Just one hour after the shooting in Monterey Park, another seven people were gunned down in a rural seaside town in northern California. The victims were immigrant laborers who toiled the land on a mushroom farm where some also lived in mobile homes and trailers.

The three mass shootings in the span of a few days have left communities across the US shaken and uncertain. The US is facing an epidemic of gun violence, and it is unclear what steps can be taken to prevent further tragedies.