A manhunt is underway for the gunman who wounded 10 people and killed 10 others in Monterey Park, California on Saturday (Jan. 21) night.

According to CNN, throngs of people fled the Star Ballroom Dance Studio as authorities arrived at 10:22 p.m. The unidentified shooter was already gone. First responders declared the fatally wounded individuals dead at the scene. “There are at least 10 additional victims that were transported to numerous local hospitals and are listed in various conditions, from stable to critical,” said Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a press conference.

The city, which is located 8 miles from Downtown LA, is home to more than 60,000 predominantly Asian Americans. The mass shooting occurred on the first night of the community’s annual Lunar New Year festival. More than 100,000 people were expected to attend the two-day event that boasts traditional dining experiences, entertainment and fun for the whole family. Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese shared, “Out of an abundance of caution and reverence for the victims, we are canceling the event that’s going to happen later today [Sunday, Jan. 22].”

A local business owner told The Los Angeles Times three people sought refuge in his restaurant when shots rang out. They claimed the suspect had a “machine gun with multiple rounds of ammunition.” However, the lone gunman was nowhere to be found by the time police arrived at the scene of the massacre. At this time, police are unable to say if the tragedy was racially motivated, and it is still too early in the investigation to declare it a hate crime.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or provide an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

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