PICTURED: Eleven victims killed by gunman in Monterey Park mass shooting trends now
The 11 victims of the horrific Monterey Park mass shooting that occurred amid Lunar New Year celebrations have been identified.
My Nhan, 65, Lilian Li, 63, Xiujuan Yu, 57, Muoi Ung, 67, Hong Jian, 62, Diana Tom, 70, Yu Kao, 72, Chia Yau, 76, Valentino Alvero, 68, Wen Yu, 64, and Ming Ma, 72, have been named as the victims shot dead by gunman Hu Can Tran on Saturday night.
Tran opened fire at the Star Dance Studio at 10.22pm with his illegal semi-automatic pistol on Saturday. He struck 20 people aged between 52 to 72.
The motive for the shooting is unclear, but Tran's ex-wife confirmed he used to teach lessons at the studio and was quick to anger. Authorities are investigating whether Tran was looking for his ex-wife when he committed the massacre.
Ming Wei Ma, 72, left, was the owner of the ballroom studio. Friends of Ma have revealed that he was the first one to rush towards the gunman when he opened fire
Valentino Alvero (left), a father, has also been identified as one of the victims of the shooting. Diana Tom, 70, (right) was critically wounded in the shooting and later died in hospital on Sunday
Tran fired 42 rounds from his 9mm semiautomatic assault weapon and then drove to another nearby dance hall where an employee wrestled the gun away from him.
The gunman later shot himself dead in his white van he used to escape the scene during a police stand-off on Sunday.
Tributes for the victims poured out online as their families set up a GoFundMe for support.
Ming Wei Ma, 72, was the owner of the ballroom studio. Friends of Ma have revealed that he was the first one to rush toward the gunman when he opened fire.
Ma's friend, Eric Chen, told CBS: 'According to the chat, he was the first to rush the shooter. He was just caring, and other first, people first kind of person.
'It is heartbreaking and it's unthinkable that it would happen.'
Instructor Lauren Woods added: 'He was so adorable to me and I could tell he was the heart of Star Ballroom.
'So many dancers, teachers and organizers were connected with Ma and I personally will miss him dearly.'
Ma leaves behind two children Ray and Mary.
Mymy Nhan, 65, was one of the 11 victims who was killed in the massacre
Ming Wei Ma , right, is one of eleven people who were killed in the horrific massacre at the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, on Saturday night
Xiujuan Yu, 57, was confirmed dead by authorities after her family was anxiously waiting to hear from her.
'What was meant to be a night out celebrating the Lunar New Year with friends ended up being a devastating and life-changing event for my family,' her niece wrote on a GoFundMe page that raised nearly $11,000.
'After days of uncertainty, anxiety, and waiting in worry, we received the news that my aunt was indeed among the deceased at the incident.'
Yu was an immigrant from China with big dreams. She leaves behind a husband and three children.
'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,' her niece wrote. 'She will never be able to witness what she dreamed of for all these years.'
A person lights a candle at a makeshift memorial site in front of the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, on Monday
Valentino Alvero, a father, has also been identified as one of the victims of the shooting.
Valentino Alvero was described as a loving father who loved ballroom dancing
His family described him 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'.
'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,' the family said.
The statement said Alvero loved ballroom dancing, was 'the life of any party,' and was a devout Catholic. The family asked all priests and Catholics to pray for him.
We hope that he danced to his heart's content until the very end and hope that he is now dancing in heaven,' the family said.
His daughter, Kristenne Alvero, told Rolling Stone: 'My dad loved God, he loved people, and he loved to dance. I hope he's dancing now, in that great gig in the sky.'
A memorial was set up for the victims outside the Star Dance Studio on January 21
Mymy Nhan, 65, was among those killed in the massacre. She was a regular at the Star Ballroom for more than a decade, choosing the Los Angeles-area dance hall popular with older Asian Americans as the place to 'start the year fresh' with Lunar New Year celebrations, her niece said.
Mymy Nhan, 65, was a regular at the Star Ballroom for more than a decade
Her family now takes some solace knowing that Nhan died after an evening of doing what she loved.
'It is comforting to know that she enjoyed her last dance, even though it was her last dance,' said her niece, Fonda Quan.
Quan said that her aunt had left the Star Ballroom and was backing her car out when she was shot. Quan said a dance partner who was in the car with her was not injured.
'Unfairly, Saturday was her last dance,' Nhan's family said in a statement. 'We are starting the Lunar New Year broken. We never imagined her life would end so suddenly.'
A view of the ballroom is seen through the window following the mass shooting that claimed the lives of 11 people
Diana Tom,
