On Monday, January 21st, 2023, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran opened fire on the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California. Eleven people were fatally shot, and eight more sustained severe injuries. A day later, Tran was found dead in his van – he committed suicide before the police could arrest him. What was intended as a joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year turned into a massacre.
The Monterey Park shooting was the 34th shooting of 2023 in the United States. Star Ballroom used to be a pillar in the area, a place located in Chinatown where immigrants could express themselves and meet others that spoke their native language. The aftermath of the shooting left the community in shambles, with everyone there that night coping differently. While some returned to the dance floor, others were left in a deep depression, unable to even go outside. “They’re still very traumatized. Time helps to heal and it’s kind of fading away, but when they talk about it, it’s still like it was yesterday,” says Lloyd Gock, a 67-year-old fashion designer that survived the tragedy.
In June, five months after the shooting, Gock attended a panel in Washington D.C. to demand stricter gun control laws, including banning assault weapons and taking away firearms from those deemed as hazardous to themselves or to those around them (LA Times). As Gock recounts to the LA Times, after the shooting, he visited the Langley Community Center, a “resource center” for victims, and was finally able to express his grief and cry. Inspired by this, Gock decided to host a monthly support group that served as a safe place for the survivors of the shooting to share their struggles. Gradually, the community began to open up and heal.
Gock quickly returned to dancing but noted that his routine had changed. He began to dance less frequently and never stayed out at night (LA Times). Other survivors shared similar experiences, such as Lowell Lou and Hattie Peng. Lou recalled how, despite returning to dance, he has not made a full recovery, stating how he has frequent nightmares and flashbacks (LA Times). Hattie Peng agrees with this, sharing how she saw a therapist and is much more anxious when she is alone outside.
It is no surprise that many of the survivors abstained from dancing after experiencing such a traumatic event. Even with resources like Lloyd Gock’s support group, it will take a long time before Monterey Park can return to what it was, and it is very likely that it never will. As Gock tells LA Times reporter Summer Lin, “What happened at Star really scared a lot of people. They’re not ready to come out. Now, they’re coming out a little bit more, but people are still scared because that gun problem never went away.”
Source:
– Healing a shattered community: Monterey Park shooting survivors return to dance
The Monterey Park shooting was the 34th shooting of 2023 in the United States. Star Ballroom used to be a pillar in the area, a place located in Chinatown where immigrants could express themselves and meet others that spoke their native language. The aftermath of the shooting left the community in shambles, with everyone there that night coping differently. While some returned to the dance floor, others were left in a deep depression, unable to even go outside. “They’re still very traumatized. Time helps to heal and it’s kind of fading away, but when they talk about it, it’s still like it was yesterday,” says Lloyd Gock, a 67-year-old fashion designer that survived the tragedy.
In June, five months after the shooting, Gock attended a panel in Washington D.C. to demand stricter gun control laws, including banning assault weapons and taking away firearms from those deemed as hazardous to themselves or to those around them (LA Times). As Gock recounts to the LA Times, after the shooting, he visited the Langley Community Center, a “resource center” for victims, and was finally able to express his grief and cry. Inspired by this, Gock decided to host a monthly support group that served as a safe place for the survivors of the shooting to share their struggles. Gradually, the community began to open up and heal.
Gock quickly returned to dancing but noted that his routine had changed. He began to dance less frequently and never stayed out at night (LA Times). Other survivors shared similar experiences, such as Lowell Lou and Hattie Peng. Lou recalled how, despite returning to dance, he has not made a full recovery, stating how he has frequent nightmares and flashbacks (LA Times). Hattie Peng agrees with this, sharing how she saw a therapist and is much more anxious when she is alone outside.
It is no surprise that many of the survivors abstained from dancing after experiencing such a traumatic event. Even with resources like Lloyd Gock’s support group, it will take a long time before Monterey Park can return to what it was, and it is very likely that it never will. As Gock tells LA Times reporter Summer Lin, “What happened at Star really scared a lot of people. They’re not ready to come out. Now, they’re coming out a little bit more, but people are still scared because that gun problem never went away.”
Source:
– Healing a shattered community: Monterey Park shooting survivors return to dance
