A day of joy turns into trauma as piecemeal gun laws fail Americans

“nevertheless [this latest incident] Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of the Stop AAPI Hate advocacy group, said Sunday.

“They are so anxious about going out to these celebrations that the day is not a day of joy and celebration and renewal, but of fear and anxiety and tremendous trauma.”

Monterey Park, located about 11 kilometers east of downtown LA, is a city of 60,000 people, of whom 65% are Asian American, 27% Latino, and 6% white, according to Census data. am.

The tragedy happened just one block from the city’s famous Lunar New Year celebrations. Thousands of people gathered on Sunday to experience the first festivities as the pandemic only added to the desperation of the community.

The mayhem began at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio around 10:20 pm on Saturday. It’s a popular place surrounded by grocery stores and Chinese restaurants on a boulevard called West Garvey Avenue.

After opening fire at the venue, killing five men and five women, the gunman attempted to launch another attack about 20 minutes later at the Lailai Ballroom in the adjacent city of the Alhambra, but was able to kill patrons before fleeing the scene. disarmed by

The extensive search to find him finally ended on Sunday afternoon, when a tactical team surrounded Torrence’s vehicle, matching the description of the white cargo van from which Trang was believed to have fled.

There, they found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and collapsed in his car.

The Monterey Park tragedy is emblematic of a problem unique to America. It’s his 33rd mass shooting this year and the deadliest mass shooting in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Since last year’s Uvalde tragedy19 children and 2 teachers died.

But there have been plenty of shootings both before and after the shootings, from the racist massacre in the black neighborhood of Buffalo, New York, to the gay club shooting in Colorado Springs last November. is occurring.

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Whatever the motive, the ensuing result is the same. With lives lost, communities crumbling, and a deeply divided country asks again: Why?

And it’s a terrifying indictment that California is meant to have the toughest gun control laws in the country. It also has mandatory waiting periods for background checks and gun purchases, and has passed a “red flag” law that allows authorities to remove firearms from people they deem to be a danger to themselves or others. It was one of the first places.

Officials say the gun Tran used was likely illegal in California and may have come from another state with different gun control measures.

And that’s where the problem lies. Some states have strict laws, others don’t, and it just doesn’t work. Until Congress acts to restore coherent reforms nationwide, such as universal background checks and a federal ban on assault weapons, there are no indications this week’s massacre will be the latest in many. I have.

Crisis Support is available from Lifeline (13 11 14) and Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636).

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