Lunar New Years celebration ends in mourning
Mass shooting in Monterey Park leaves 11 people dead
February 7, 2023
In the month of Jan. 2023, California experienced three mass shootings in the span of hardly a week, leaving 19 dead in total according to CNN News. One of the most recent tragedies being an abrupt mass shooting on Lunar New Years Eve that occurred on Jan. 22 at Monterey Park, California.
Lunar New Year is supposed to be a day filled with celebration, food and family. This incident is being investigated to see if there was a hate crime motivation behind it. Monterey Park has a large Asian population of 65% of the 61,000 citizens in the community. This means the city hosts one of the largest Lunar New Year events in the region, according to I News.
When attending an event or a public area now, some people do not feel at ease until they can locate the closest exit in an emergency where they need to quickly leave the scene. This is the sad reality as mass shootings are happening more commonly in unexpected places and scenarios. Reportedly, in the Monterey Park shooting there were 11 victims ranging from the ages 57 to 76 found dead in the Star Ballroom Studio, where the shooting occurred.
The Star Ballroom Studio holds waltz, tango and Chinese dance classes, according to the LA Times. That night, the studio had hosted an event called “Star Night”, for locals to attend between 8 and 11:30 p.m.. The victims’ families reported their family members frequently attending the dance studio as a source of socializing and a place to spend their free time. It is disappointing how an event for socializing and gathering became the source for an attack on innocent victims.
After the news of the mass shooting broke out, local organizers in San Diego made arrangements to increase security. 10 News reported that the 44th Annual Lunar New Year Gala held at the restaurant, Diamond Palace, had hired additional private armed security.
This action should awaken others to implement more security needed for public-held events for the safety and peace of mind for those attending. Even though having extra security for events seems to be ridiculous, it is a precaution needed to be taken for Americans as mass shootings occur more commonly now. The Monterey Park shooting was the fifth mass shooting reported that occurred in the U.S. in the month of January. Although it’s impossible to predict when or where a mass shooting will take place, precautions can always be placed for large events where many locals and tourists will attend.
Even though having extra security for events seems to be ridiculous, it is a precaution needed to be taken for Americans as mass shootings occur more commonly now. — Valerie Torres
In the city of San Diego there have been very few instances of mass shootings but one event still takes place in history and is an example of a mass shooting which occurred somewhere that seemed unexpected. On July 18, 1984, one of the deadliest mass shootings in California history occurred at a local McDonalds in San Ysidro, California. This terrible shooting left 21 dead and is not forgotten by San Diego natives.
Valentis is a private security company that provides services for public events and mass gatherings. They emphasize that all hosts should ensure the safety of their guests. “With a large event, the potential for risk often grows with the number of people in attendance. Unfortunately, people can be unpredictable. The more people there are at an event, the more likely it is that something will go wrong,” Valentis admits.
The Valentis website mentions how security and precautions can vary for different scenarios other than active shooters. This can include fires, natural disasters, thieves and drunk driving. It is always important to be aware of your surroundings and be precautious of hosting or attending certain events for the safety of yourself and other attendees.
Living life in fear of a mass shooting should not be normalized in society. People should be able to feel secure anytime and in anyplace. However this is the harsh reality and we need to adapt. Many may theorize or blame mass shootings on the idea that shooters are motivated by their own hatred and anger towards others. Although, the motivation cannot be generalized to other shootings and there is not only one factor contributing to this outbreak of shooting, it can be concluded that the victims’ families are greatly impacted as innocent lives are taken in the most unexpected times.
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