At least 10 people have been killed and another 10 injured in a mass shooting in the city of Monterey Park in the US state of California, Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles county sheriff's department said on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Times reported that a man had opened fire at a local dance studio around 10 pm on Saturday.
The incident reportedly took place near the downtown area where the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival is held each year.
Tens of thousands of people gathered on Saturday for the start of Lunar New Year festivities, one of the largest events in the region.
"The Monterey Park Police Fire Department responded to the scene, treated the injured and pronounced 10 of the victims deceased at the scene. There were at least 10 additional victims that were transported to numerous local hospitals and are listed in various conditions from stable to critical," Meyer said in a statement aired by CNN.
The suspect fled the scene and remains at large, the official added.
Meanwhile, Chief Scott Wiese of Monterrey Park police department told reporters that the Monterey Park Lunar New Year Festival had been canceled "out of an abundance of caution and reverence for the victims."
The injured were taken to multiple hospitals in the area, said the report. It was unclear whether a suspect was in custody.
Chinese Lunar New Year celebration is one of the largest events in the area, as per the Los Angeles Times report. Internal police communications have revealed that there have been some fatalities.
Earlier on Saturday, people were enjoying skewers and shopping for Chinese food and jewelry.
The New Year festivities were scheduled from 10 am to 9 pm. Videos that have surfaced on social media showed the presence of police and fire units on Garvey Avenue and treating victims.
The LA Times report said injured people were moved to multiple hospitals in the region.
Seung Won Choi, who owns the Clam House seafood barbecue across the street from where the shooting took place said that three people rushed into his restaurant and told him to lock the door, according to the report.
The report added that three people told him that there was a man with a machine gun in the region. According to Choi, people also told him that the shooter had multiple rounds of ammunition on him.
