Monterey Park mass shooting prompts police response in California

At least 9 people were killed during a mass shooting in a city outside of Los Angeles Saturday night, according to police.

The shooting occurred in Monterey Park at 10:22 p.m. in California, around the area where the city hosted the first night of its annual Lunar New Year Celebration.

The city, which is a predominately Asian community, is located roughly 8 miles away from downtown Los Angeles.

Police officials described the suspect as a male.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Seung Won Choi, who owns a restaurant across the street from where the shooting happened, said three people rushed into his business and told him to lock the door, claiming the shooter had a “machine gun with multiple rounds of ammunition.”

The festival draws more than 100,000 visitors each day including food vendors, entertainers, and merchants throughout the two-day celebration.

The Lunar New Year festival began Saturday morning and ended around 9 p.m. local time.

This is a developing story.

With Post wires