The names of the 11 killed in the Monterey Park mass shooting have been shared as the community is left reeling by the brutal act of violence.
Huu Can Tran, 72, opened fire with a semi-automatic pistol on Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park in California, US, on Saturday evening killing 11 people.
Members of the local community, which is predominantly Asian American, had met up at the Dancehall to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Ten of the victims, five women and five men, died at the scene with one woman later dying in hospital from her injuries.
Families of the victims have made heartbreaking tributes to their loved ones killed in the massacre.
The victims are My Nhan, 65, Lilan Li, 63, Xiujan Yu, 57, Wen Yu, 64, Muoi Ung, 67, Hong Jian, 62, Yu-Lun Kao, 72, Chia Yau, 76, Diana Tom, 70, Valentino Alvero, 68, and venue owner Ming Wei Ma.
My Nhan
My Nhan, known affectionately as Mymy by her family, was one of the six women killed in the devastating shooting.
According to her family the 65-year-old she had been going to the Star Ballroom Dance Studio for more than a decade.
In a heartbreaking statement from her family, they paid tribute to their lost loved one.
It read: "We start the new year broken, learning about the death of Mymy Nhan. She was one of ten people killed in the Monterey Park mass shooting. Mymy loved dancing at Star Ballroom Dance Studio for more than a decade. It was a weekend routine, and we never expected Saturday to be her last.
"Mymy, 65, was kind beyond words. She was a caretaker to all people around her. She was a loving aunt, sister, daughter and friend. She was our biggest cheerleader."
Nhan was the first victim of the shooter and was leaving the dance hall in her car when she was shot
The family have set up a fundraiser to raise money for My's funeral.
Valentino Alvero
Dad Valentino Alvero has been identified as one of the victims.
The 68-year-old was described by his family as a "loving father, a dedicated son and brother, a grandfather who loved his three granddaughters fiercely, an uncle who loved his nieces and nephews like his own".
In a statement his family said: "He loved people and hearing about their lives and in return, he shared his own stories with so much enthusiasm that you couldn't help but listen and laugh along with him".
They continued saying that he loved ballroom dancing and was "the life of any party".
Diana Tom
Diana Tom was the eleventh victim of the shooting, dying in hospital on Sunday after being rushed there from the scene.
Her family said in a statement: "On behalf of Diana Tom, we, her family, condemn this senseless act of violence that has uprooted the lives of all the victims, their families and the entire API community at large
"We honor and support all of those affected."
They described her as a "hard-working mother, wife and grandmother who loved to dance".
Ming Wei Ma
Among the dead is Ming Wei Ma, the studio's popular co-owner who also managed the space.
Reports suggest he was one of the first to see a tragedy was about to unfold and rushed towards the shooter.
Alhambra Council Member Sasha Renee Perez said on Twitter: "Ming Wei Ma, aka “Mr. Ma”, was one of the victims in the Monterey Park mass shooting. He is a HERO who died trying to stop the gunman and protecting his students.
"He is a father, a teacher and a community leader who brought people together with his love for dancing."
Former ballroom dance champion Heather Smith, who coached dancers at the Studio, praised his commitment to the space and the community he helped form.
She said: “Every time I went there Mr. Ma would hug me and say, ‘Champion in the house!’”
Xiujan Yu
Victim Xiujan Yu was a wife and mum-of-three tragically gunned down in the Monterey Park mass shooting.
She first moved to the US in the early 2010s and she and her family were "leaving their past lives behind in China to craft a new future for their little family."
Two of her children, twins, are currently attending California State Universities pursuing respective degrees in Sports Medicine and Kinesiology.
In a GoFundMe page and tribute, her aunt Kathleen Fong said: "My aunt was in the middle of crafting that future with her husband and children, and now to have that journey suddenly interrupted is heartbreaking. She will never be able to witness what she dreamed of for all these years.
"Personally, this still doesn't feel real. It happened all too quickly-- we never even got a chance to properly say goodbye. Despite this hardship, my family is doing all we can to heal and ensure my aunt receives a proper burial."
Victims
Details are still emerging about the victims, but the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles confirmed Kao is Taiwanese American.
