Biden news - live: President to visit Monterey Park for the first time since mass shooting killed 11

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

US president Joe Biden will visit on Tuesday Monterey Park in California, where 11 people were killed in a mass shooting in January this year.

Mr Biden is expected to discuss his efforts to reduce gun violence in the wake of the shootings, the White House said.

At least eleven people were killed and another nine wounded when a gunman opened fire inside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park on 21 January, shortly after thousands of members of the Asian American community had gathered for Lunar New Year celebrations.

The shooter was disarmed by Brandon Tsay, who wrestled the gun away from the man.

The 72-year-old suspected gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when police closed in on him in his white van, according to authorities.

The president made reference to the mass shooting in his State of the Union address, calling for a ban on assault weapons.

Meanwhile, President Biden, British prime minister Rishi Sunak and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese unveiled details of a plan to provide Canberra with nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.

Key Points

Monterey Park, an Asian cultural hub, shaken by shooting

06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

For decades, Monterey Park has been a haven for Asian immigrants seeking to maintain a strong cultural identity — and a culinary heaven worth visiting for anybody near Los Angeles craving authentic Asian cuisine.

Signs across the vibrant suburb are written in English and Chinese. Families raise bilingual children. And residents in their golden years enjoy karaoke, the Chinese tile game mah jong and — as the outside world learned last week after a horrific mass shooting — ballroom dancing.

“It’s a very quiet, humble place. And we mind our own,” says Denny Mu, a second-generation American who runs the popular Mandarin Noodle House started by his grandfather.

That sense of peace was shattered after a gunman killed 11 people in their 50s, 60s and 70s and wounded nine others.

But while residents of the tight-knit community work through the trauma — just as they did during the coronavirus pandemic, when anti-Asian sentiment rose nationwide — the tragedy has only sharpened their feelings about what makes Monterey Park so special, and worth protecting.

Read more here.

Monterey Park, an Asian cultural hub, shaken by shooting

Families of Monterey Park shooting victims remember loved ones

05:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Eleven people were killed and another nine wounded when a gunman opened fire inside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, shortly after thousands of members of the Asian American community had gathered for Lunar New Year celebrations in the city outside Los Angeles.

Ten of the victims – five men and five women – were pronounced dead on the spot while the eleventh victim succumbed to their injuries.

Suspected gunman Huu Can Tran, 72, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when police closed in on him in his white van, according to authorities.

“It is comforting to know that she enjoyed her last dance, even though it was her last dance,” victim Mymy Nhan’s niece Fonda Quan told AP.

Read more here.

Families remember Monterey Park shooting victims as all 11 are identified

Biden to visit Monterey Park today

04:32 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

US president Joe Biden will visit Monterey Park in California today, where 11 people were killed in a mass shooting this year.

Mr Biden is expected to call for tougher gun control measures following a spate of mass shootings throughout the country.

However, it is unclear if he will visit the spot of the gun violence or meet the families of the victims.

The president has repeatedly called on Congress to enact stricter gun control measures, including reinstating the assault weapons ban.

03:44 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Welcome to The Independent’s live blog on US president Joe Biden’s visit to Los Angeles today.

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