As investigators of the Monterey Park mass shooting continued to gather evidence on suspected mass murderer Huu Can Tran, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office identified all of the deceased, including one of Filipino origin: Valentino Alvero, 68 years old.
Ten people were shot to death last Saturday at the Star Ballroom in that city and later, the eleventh victim succumbed to gunshot wounds at the USC Medical Center.
The names of the victims, whose ages range from 50 to 70, are: Mi Nhan, 65; Lilian Li, 63; Xiujuan Yu, 57; Muoi Ung, 67; Hong Jian, 62; Yukao, 72; Chia Yau, 76; Wen Yu, 64; Ming Ma, 72; Diana Tom, 70 and Valentino Alvero, 68.
Alvero was a devout Catholic and with his death, his family regretted that he did not receive the sacrament of holy oils.
“It is a pity that he has not received the last rites; our family would like to ask all priests and Catholics to pray for him by his name: Valentino Marcos Alvero”, the family said in a statement released to the press.
This request was heard by a group of women belonging to the Legion of Mary, in the church of San Antonio, in the neighboring city of San Gabriel.
“Everything that is happening is horrible,” Carmen Lazcano, a South San Gabriel resident, told La Opinión. “We pray for our brother’s soul and ask God for strength for his family.”
Socorro Batanero, a Monterey Park resident and member of the group, said she felt sad for all the victims.
“As we pray for all the deceased and their families, we should ask that guns not be so easily sold to people.”
For her part, María Hilda Flores, a resident of the city of Rosemead, said she would pray a rosary for the souls of the deceased.
“Everything has been very sad, because no one expected a tragedy like the one that happened,” he said. “God have mercy on all those souls.”
Suspect denounced that they wanted to poison him
Two weeks before carrying out his attack, the suspect in the massacre of 11 people, Huu Can Tran, 72, went to the Hemet town police to report that his family had allegedly tried to poison him 10 to 20 years ago.
In the same way, authorities from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said they conducted a search of the man’s house, where they found a .308 caliber rifle, which is popular among people who hunt deer, black bears, caribou and wild boar. , a high-capacity magazine, hundreds of rounds of .308 caliber ammunition, and items to make homemade silencers for firearms.
On January 7 and 9, Can Tran went to the police, Hemet city spokesman Alan Reyes said. The city of Hemet is located in the San Jacinto Valley, in Riverside County, 85 miles east of Los Angeles.
The multiple homicide, who committed suicide last Sunday, after being locked in his truck in the city of Hawthorne, when he was cornered by agents of a special tactics team, had also accused his relatives of robbery and fraud.
“The man said that he would return to the police station with documents related to his allegations, but he never returned,” Reyes said.
The man was divorced from his wife, who was presumably at the Star Ballroom in Monterey Park to celebrate the Chinese Lunar Year.
However, until now it is unknown if Can Tran wanted to hurt his ex-wife.
It is also unknown who or who of his relatives allegedly wanted to injure him.
Tran lived at The Lakes at Hemet West mobile home park, located at 5001 W. Florida Ave. on the west end of the city.
“Dancing in Heaven”
On his Twitter account, Karmel Kwan wrote an official statement about his uncle Valentino Marcos Alvero, and on behalf of his family:
“First of all, we send our deepest condolences to the other victims and their families who have to go through heartbreaking times and whose lives have been upended by the tragedy.
We hope you all reach out to one another and that kindness and grace find us in the dark days ahead. Our hearts are with you.
In one night, we become uninvited members of a community mourning the loss of loved ones to gun violence. We are left frustrated, immersed in this vicious cycle.
And most importantly, remember that Valentino is more than just a news headline or a news story.
He was a loving father, a devoted son and brother, a grandfather who loved his granddaughters, and an uncle who loved his nieces and nephews as if they were his own children. He loved people and listened to those who shared his life with him; he shared his own stories with great pleasure and enthusiasm, and you could listen and smile along with him…
He loved going to the ballroom, he loved his community, and he was the party cheerleader.
We hope that you danced with a happy heart until the end, and we hope that you are now dancing in heaven.”
vigils for the deceased
In front of the Monterey Park City Hall building, a memorial with flowers and candles has been erected for the eternal rest of those who died on Saturday, January 21.
City officials invited residents yesterday and Wednesday to join prayer vigils, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at 320 W. Newmark Avenue.
“We believe it is important that our community come together to remember and heal,” Mayor Henry Lo said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the organization Compassion in SGV has scheduled another vigil for 6 pm Wednesday outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio at 122 W. Garvey Ave., where the mass shooting took place.
Organizers said the event will be a “solidarity community vigil to remember, honor and mourn the tragic victims of the Monterey Park mass shooting, and condemn gun violence.”
‘Prevention is necessary’
To achieve significant change in stopping gun violence, the first step is “for the public to understand how they can use their voice to influence elected representatives” who have authority on the issue that concerns them, he told La Opinión Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
“Access to guns is a matter protected by federal law, which is why my fellow supervisors and I have sent letters to our federal legislators, formally expressing our support for gun laws that will keep our local communities safe,” he said. .
Barger emphasized that mass shootings are complex and involve many factors, not just access to weapons.
“It is important to recognize that no matter how many gun control laws are enacted, people with mental illness will strive to access guns at all costs in order to unleash violence against their targets,” he said. “I will continue to use my authority and power to invest in our mental health systems so that our community can access care and therapeutic interventions to prevent this type of violence. Prevention is key.”