El Paso Standard

The call for gun safety reform is louder than ever in the wake of yet another mass shooting, this impacting a California community during the Lunar New Year celebrations.

As the local Asian American community was enjoying the Lunar New Year weekend, a mass shooting occurred in Monterey Park, California, at The Star Ballroom Dance Studio late Saturday, Jan. 21, that left at least 11 people dead and injured 10 others. The suspect, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, was found dead inside a van the following day after having taken his own life, according to KFOX14.

Texas Senator Cesar Blanco (D- El Paso) expressed his condolences and touched on gun violence in a recent Twitter post.

"My heart goes out to the victims & families of Monterey Park," he said. "As a community that has grappled with this type of tragedy, #ElPaso grieves alongside you. Gun violence shouldn't be the norm. We need common-sense gun safety reform now to keep our families and communities safe. #txlege"

Gun violence is a recurring topic as the Monterey Park mass shooting is one of many.

The shooting in Monterey Park is the United States' fifth mass killing to happen just this month. The city is located on the eastern side of Los Angeles and has a population of approximately 60,000 people, the majority of whom are Asian or Asian American, KFOX14 reported. The Star Ballroom Dance Studio is close to City Hall on Garvey Avenue, which is Monterey Park's main road.

According to police, there are no other suspects in the shooting and the motive is still unknown. All victims were over the age of 50 years old. 

The coroner's office released to the public the names and ages of five men and six women on Tuesday. The female victims included Xiujuan Yu, 57; Hongying Jian, 62; Lilian Li, 63; Mymy Nhan, 65; Muoi Ung, 67; and Diana Man Ling Tom, 70. The male victims were Wen-Tau Yu, 64; Valentino Marcos Alvero, 68; Ming Wei Ma, 72; Yu-Lun Kao, 72; and Chia Ling Yau, 76, CNN reported.