Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) said the mass shooting in Monterey Park in California is just the latest in a larger “epidemic of gun violence.”
Padilla spoke to the community in both English and Spanish during a news conference Monday — two days after a shooter opened fire at a Lunar New Year celebration at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio on Saturday night.
The shooter killed 11 people and injured nine more, police confirmed during the conference.
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Padilla walked through a crisis resource center with Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and other officials Monday, delaying his trip back to Washington, D.C., Chu said.
The senator called the Monterey Park community “resilient” and said it would “rebound” after the tragedies of Saturday night.
“We are committed together not just to support the families and support the community, but to once again use this reminder of the epidemic of gun violence in America,” Padilla said.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office originally reported that 10 people, split evenly between men and women, were killed and 10 others were injured. However, the coroner’s office released that an injured person had died from their wounds in the hospital. That brought the total death count to 11.
“There’s still a lot that we are learning about these particular cases. We won’t jump to all the conclusions; we’ll let the investigations and legal processes run their course,” Padilla said. “But we do take it as a reminder of the urgency with which we need to strengthen our gun safety laws across the country.”
Padilla added that despite California holding some of the strictest gun laws in the United States, having a “patchwork of laws and protections” across states exposes the “vulnerabilities” that can affect communities in the U.S.
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“For the individuals in the community here in Monterey Park, throughout the region and throughout the country, that are living in slightly more fear today because of what’s been witnessed, this is a reminder that more needs to be done,” the senator continued.
A vigil will be held in front of Monterey Park City Hall on Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m.
