The gunman who killed ten people and injured ten more at a Monterey Park ballroom on Saturday night was eventually stopped at a second dance hall in Alhambra by two bystanders who are now being hailed as heroes.
Investigators believe Huu Can Tran, 72, armed with a semi-automatic pistol, went to Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio just over 2 miles away 20 minutes after opening fire at the Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park.
Before the gunman could fire a shot, two men disarmed him.
According to The New York Times, one of them was a 26-year-old coder and third-generation operator of the family-run dance hall who assisted in wrestling the gun away.
Brandon Tsay told the newspaper that he was in the office when he heard the front doors swing open and metallic objects collide.
When he turned around, he saw a gun pointed at him. Tsay fought the suspect for the gun for about a minute and a half before getting the gun away and yelling for the man to leave, according to the Times. Tsay told Good Morning America that he expected to die.
According to investigators, the weapon, a "magazine-fed semi-automatic assault pistol," is illegal in California.
The identity of the second man who assisted has not been revealed, but Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna believes the men's quick actions saved many lives at the Alhambra scene.
"He was disarmed by two members of the community who I consider heroes because they saved lives," the sheriff said. "It could have been a lot worse."
State Senator Susan Rubio of Baldwin Park also praised the community members who helped prevent a second attack.
“We would be standing here with a lot more tragedy, so I want to thank those two individuals and we hope to honor them some point in the near future,” she said.
Tran was later discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a cargo van surrounded by police in a Torrance parking lot. Authorities said they discovered another gun and other evidence linking him to the crimes inside.
The reason for the shooting is unknown.
A candlelight vigil honoring the victims of the shooting will be held at Monterey Park City Hall, 320 W. Newmark Avenue, on Monday at 7 p.m.
