People gather at a memorial to the victims of the mass shooting over the weekend at a dance studio in Monterey Park, Calif.
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People gather at a memorial to the victims of the mass shooting over the weekend at a dance studio in Monterey Park, Calif.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
Eleven people died and nine were injured after a shooting over the weekend during the Lunar New Year celebrations in California.
Attendees at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park were celebrating the holiday Saturday night when the attack occurred.
As investigators continue to investigate what caused the shooter to rampage, family members of those who have died are sharing tributes to their loved ones. Here’s what we know so far:
Mymy Nhan, 65
in one declare On Twitter, Nhan’s family wrote: “We are starting a smashing Lunar New Year. We never imagined her life would end so suddenly.”
“She spent so many years going to the ballroom in Monterey Park on weekends,” the family continued. “It’s what she likes to do. But it’s not fair, Saturday is her last dance.”
Tiffany Liou, whose husband is Nhan’s nephew, said Nhan “was the first person to be shot dead” in the mass shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio. Liou posted a videotapes on Twitter of Nhan dancing, saying that’s how she hopes “Aunt Mymy” will be remembered.
Nhan’s niece, Fonda Quan, told ABC News that her aunt was shot when she tried to drive her car out of the dance studio parking lot.
“When I think about her, I think, I hope the takeaway for everyone is: be kind. Take care of people. You don’t know what their back story is. Sometimes a smile, Sometimes kind words can make their day,” Quan said. “That’s how she lives her life.”
One GoFundMe page Do Quan describes Nhan as “a kind person that cannot be expressed in words. She is someone who cares about everyone around her. She is an aunt, sister, daughter, and loved one. She’s our biggest cheerleader.”
Tu Quyen Vien, 57
Yu’s niece, Kathleen Fong, wrote on a GoFundMe page for family: “What meant a night out for the Lunar New Year with friends ended up being a devastating and life-changing event for my family.”
Fong said Yu and her family immigrated to the US from China in the early 2010s. Yu died with her husband and three children, two of whom were studying sports medicine and kinesiology at the system. California State University.
Fong describes her aunt and uncle working “tireless” to provide for their children and pay for their schooling as the couple worked to “build a new future for their small family” in America
“My aunt is building that future with her husband and children, and now that journey has been suddenly interrupted is heartbreaking,” Fong wrote. “She’ll never be able to witness what she’s dreamed of for all these years.”
Hong Anh Kien, 62 years old
One of Jian’s neighbors, Serena Liu, Talk to LA time that Jian is known as “Nancy” and enjoys playing volleyball, singing, playing the piano, and dancing.
“She is a very active person,” Liu told the newspaper. “She used to say that she could make friends with anyone if she wanted to. She was a very nice, cute and kind person.”
Liu said Jian is from China’s Sichuan province and she had planned to return to visit her mother but could not due to restrictions on the COVID-19 pandemic. She is survived by her husband.
Wu Luan Kao, 72
Kao’s dance partner, identified as Shally, told FOX 11 Los Angeles reporter Christina Pascucci that she initially thought the gunshots were fireworks to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Shally said after Kao was shot, he stopped reacting to her and she noticed blood on her hand.
“I think I’m the one who got shot,” Shally said. “I was screaming, screaming, screaming like crazy.”
One GoFundMe was founded by Shally’s husband Francois, said Kao was known in the dance community as “Mr. Nice” for his willingness to welcome and teach newcomers.
Francois said the couple had lost a “good friend” and said Kao took the bullet to save Shally, his 15 year dance partner.
Kao’s brother Talk to LA time that he and Kao immigrated to the United States from Taiwan about 20 years ago and that Kao is unmarried and has no children.
Valentino Marcos Alvero, 68
in one declare Posting on Twitter, Alvero’s family members said they had become “reluctant members of a community that must mourn the loss of our loved ones to gun violence.”
“We’re frustrated, stuck with this vicious cycle,” they added.
Alvero is remembered as a “loving father, devoted son and brother, a loving grandfather to his three nieces, an uncle who loved his nieces as his own.”
A devout Catholic who loves to dance, Alvero enjoys hearing about other people’s lives and sharing his own life stories with “so interest and enthusiasm that you can’t help but listen.” and laugh with him,” his family said.
They said, “We hope that he danced all the way to the end and hope that he is now dancing in heaven.”
Alvero’s son, Val Anthony Alvero, told CNN that his father is a hotel worker who plans to retire after a year and hopes to return to his native Philippines.
Wen Zuoyu, 64 years old
Yu’s son, Szu Fa Yu, Talk to New York Times that his father is retired but he has just started going to school to learn his second profession as a pharmacist.
“I really admire him for that,” Yu said. “His books and notes are still on the table,” he added.
Wen Tau Yu, a Taiwanese immigrant to the US, celebrated the Lunar New Year with his family before going out with friends, his son said. Yu’s family reported him missing after learning that he didn’t show up for lunch with friends the next day.
Ma Mingwei, 72 years old
Ming Wei Ma is the beloved owner of Star Ballroom Dance Studio, according to a GoFundMe page established by Courtney Thong on behalf of Mary, daughter of Ma.
Ma “has built a community that deeply loves and respects him for his kindness and vivacity,” Thong wrote.
In a 2016 news about discotheques, Ma Talk to Pasadena Star-News that he wanted to create a space for multiple cultures to come together and dance.
“I wanted to provide a positive place for the Asian community in Monterey Park to help prolong their life and improve their health,” he said. “Having a place where people from all over the world can come together and communicate through dance is how I can help.”
Lauren Woods, who taught at the studio, say in one post on Facebook that Ma often kissed her cheek and even picked her up from time to time.
“It’s adorable that he’s doing this. He’s so adorable to me and I can tell he’s the heart of Star Ballroom,” Woods said. “A lot of dancers, teachers and organizers have connected with Ma and I will personally miss him very much.”
In addition to his daughter Mary, Ma is also the father of son Ray, according to the GoFundMe page.
Diana Man Ling Tom, 70
In a statement, Tom’s family condemned the shooting as “a senseless act of violence that has claimed the lives of all victims, their families and the entire API community at large. We honor and support all those affected,” the family said on a GoFundMe Page.
Tom is depicted as a hardworking wife, mother and grandmother with a love of dancing. She is celebrating Lunar New Year by dancing with her friends.
Her family said: “For those who know her, she is someone who is always dedicated to others.
Tom died at LAC + USC Medical Center, where she was treated after being shot.
Mui Dai Ung, 67
Ung’s family says she is a refugee from Vietnam, loves to dance and gets along with the community she discovered in Monterey Park, the The Los Angeles Times reported.
Monterey City Councilor Park Thomas Wong read out the family’s statement aloud at a ceremony public vigilance Third night.
“My aunt loves to dance. She also loves to eat and gamble. Sometimes, I’ve heard, she even tries to do all three at the same time,” her family said. “Like our community, she’s complicated, messy, loveable, and sometimes hard to understand from the outside.”
It took the Vietnamese-Chinese refugee more than 30 years before she was able to immigrate to the US and reunite with family members – including her own daughter – who fled Vietnam in the 1970s and 1980s, her family said.
“Tonight is a time of grief and mourning, but let’s also make sure it’s a catalyst for change,” the Ung family said. “Let’s be stronger together, as a family and community. Let’s make sure after this point we continue to dance and create space for fun.”
Two other victims – Lilian Li, 63 years old, and Chia Ling Yau, 76 years old – also died in the shooting. We will update as more information becomes available.
