AJ McLean and Aaron Carter in 2006; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Last week, a benefit concert held in memory of the late Aaron Carter raised more than $150,000. Among the performers were *NSYNC‘s Lance Bass and Backstreet Boys‘ AJ McLean. In a new episode of Lance’s podcast, Frosted Tips, AJ tells Lance that Aaron’s death didn’t come as a surprise to him.
Aaron, Nick Carter‘s little brother, was found dead on November 5 at the age of 34. “Can I say that I’m shocked? No, sadly,” AJ tells Lance. “Did any of us want this? Hell, no. It’s just tragic.”
AJ, a recovering addict who’s been in rehab several times, also tells Lance that he tried to help Aaron a long time ago.
“He reached out to me years back and asked for help. And I willingly was like, ‘OK, this is what I suggest you do: You need to fly out here. You need to go to this treatment center that I called. I’ve got it all set up for you.'”
At first, AJ says, Aaron resisted, but he finally went, even telling the center he didn’t want anyone but AJ to be able to contact him. But, AJ says, “Two days later, he checked himself out. And four days after that, [he] put me on blast all over Twitter saying that I was doing it to glorify myself.”
As AJ explains to Lance, “That’s what addicts do. If we’re not ready to get sober, it’s you. You’re at fault. It’s not me. You’re the problem.”
However, AJ’s advice to anyone with a loved one who’s struggling is still this: “Say something now. Don’t stay mute about it, even if they fight you on it. At least it gives them an opportunity to see that there’s someone there that actually … cares about them.”
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are set to be immortalized with statues in their hometown of Dartford, in Kent, England, with Mick telling The Telegraphhe is “honored and delighted with the news.”
The statues are to be created by sculptor Amy Goodman. Theywill be erected near the Dartford Railway Station where the two childhood friends reunited as teenagers in 1961, started talking about music and decided to form a musical partnership.
Goodman is currently working on the statues in her studio. Once completed, they will be unveiled at One Bell Corner on Dartford High Street.
“Many Dartfordians have gone on to change our world, but in terms of culture and music you don’t get much more influential than The Rolling Stones,” Jeremy Kite, leader of the Dartford Borough Council, tells the paper. “Their music has changed the face of popular music and these lads from Dartford are now two of the most recognizable and loved people in the world.”
He adds, “We want to celebrate that their roots are firmly planted right here in our town and also thank them for the impression they have made on lives.”
The Bachelor kicked off its 27th season on Monday with Zach Shallcross, a 26-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California, meeting the 30 women who are vying to be his future wife.
The pressure was on as the ladies tried surviving night one of the competition, and proved to be too much for one contestant, who went a little too far to get the Bachelor’s attention.
A long kiss between Zach and Greer, 24, a medical sales rep from Houston, done in full view of the other women, particularly bothered 26-year-old Fargo, Maryland business owner Madison, who was determined to kiss him before the night was over. Her attempt to force a kiss from Zach, wasn’t well received, and she knew it.
Before the rose ceremony, Madison pulled Zach to try to smooth things over with Zach, assuring him that she didn’t want to “force things,” and that he wanted her on the journey with him. Unfortunately, her aggression convinced him they weren’t a good match, and he decided to send her home.
Nine more women were sent home at the rose ceremony and 20 still remain following the rose ceremony, including Greer, who snagged Monday’s first impression rose and, Brianna, who earned America’s first impression rose during last year’s live Bachelorette finale.
Here are the 20 women remaining after the rose ceremony:
Aly, 26, a healthcare strategist from Atlanta, Ga.
Anastasia, 30, a content marketing manager from San Diego, Calif.
Ariel, 28, a marketing executive from New York City, N.Y.
Bailey, 27, an executive recruiter from Nashville, Tenn.
Brianna, 24, an entrepreneur from Jersey City, N.J. Audience-voted First Impression Rose
Brooklyn, 25, a rodeo racer from Stillwater, Okla.
Cat, 26, a dancer from New York, N.Y.
Charity, 26, a child and family therapist from Columbus, Ga.
Christina Mandrell, 26, a content creator from Nashville, Tenn.
Davia, 25, a marketing manager from Charleston, S.C.
Gabriella “Gabi,” 25, an account executive from Pittsford, Vt.
Genevie, 26, a neonatal nurse from Baltimore City, Md.
Greer, 24, a medical sales rep from Houston, Texas. — First Impression Rose
Jessica “Jess,” 23, an e-commerce coordinator from Winter Springs, Fla.
Kaitlyn “Kaity,” 27, an ER nurse from Austin, Texas.
Katherine, 26, a registered nurse from Tampa, Fla.
Kimberly, 30, a hospitality manager from Los Angeles, Calif.
Kylee, 25, a postpartum nurse from Charlotte, N.C.
Mercedes, 24, a nonprofit owner from Bloomfield, Iowa
Victoria J., 30, a makeup artist from Fort Worth, Texas
(MONTEREY PARK, Calif.) — Eleven people were killed and nine others were injured by a gunman who opened fire at a crowded dance studio in Monterey Park, California, on Saturday night, authorities said.
The suspect — identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran — fled the scene and traveled to nearby Alhambra, where he allegedly entered a second dance hall before being disarmed there that same night. Tran was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 24, 2:49 AM EST
Diana Tom remembered as ‘grandmother who loved to dance’
Diana Tom, 70, who was wounded at Star Dance in Monterey Park, died on Jan. 22 after being transported to a hospital in critical condition, her family said.
“On behalf of Diana Tom, we, her family, condemn this senseless act of violence that has uprooted the lives of all the victims, their families and the entire API community at large,” the family said in a statement. “We honor and support all of those affected.”
The family said Tom was a “hard-working mother, wife and grandmother who loved to dance.”
“On the night of January 21, Diana was at Star Dance celebrating the Lunar New Year by dancing with her friends,” the statement said. “To those who knew her, she was someone who always went out of her way to give to others.”
Jan 23, 7:50 PM EST
Monterey Park was worst mass shooting in LA County history, supervisor says
Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn said that Saturday night’s shooting in Monterey, California, was the worst mass shooting in LA County history.
“Los Angeles County is in mourning,” Hahn said at a news conference on Monday.
Jan 23, 6:45 PM EST
Monterey Park suspect had criminal history, was making homemade firearm suppressors: Police
The suspected gunman in the Monterey Park, California, shooting that left 11 people dead had a limited criminal history, police said at a news conference on Monday.
Huu Can Tran, 72, was arrested in 1990 for unlawful possession of a firearm, according to officials.
Law enforcement officials served a search warrant at the suspect’s home and recovered a .308 caliber rifle and numerous electronic devices, police said.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, the suspect manufactured homemade firearm suppressors.
-ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman
Jan 23, 5:53 PM EST
2 more victims identified
The LA County Coroner’s office released the names of two more victims from this weekend’s mass shooting.
Xiujuan Yu, 57, and Valentino Alvero, 68, were among the 11 victims, the coroner’s said Monday afternoon.
The 11th victim who died at the hospital on Monday was also described as a woman in her 70s.
-ABC News’ Alex Stone
Jan 23, 4:13 PM EST
Gov. Newsom laments ‘rinse and repeat’ of mass shootings
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday lamented the “rinse and repeat” motions of the U.S. between mass shootings, during which the nation mourns but doesn’t make changes.
Newsom called large-capacity magazines “weapons of pure, mass destruction,” and said it’s “disgraceful” that the U.S. does not address it.
“The No. 1 killer of our kids last year was guns. The hell’s wrong with us?” Newsom told reporters Monday.
Americans should have the “freedom to walk the damn streets without being fearful,” he said.
The governor said he didn’t hold a news conference on the Monterey Park shooting on Sunday because “I can’t do those again … saying the same thing over and over again. I mean, it’s insane.”
-ABC News’ Matt Fuhrman
Jan 23, 4:00 PM EST
Man injured in massacre recounts the horror
Heong Bang, a man in his 60s who was injured in the mass shooting, told ABC News he heard what he thought was celebratory Lunar New Year fireworks, then suddenly felt pain his leg.
He said he looked around and saw fellow dancers on the ground covered in blood.
Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo prays as members of the community hold a prayer vigil in…
Bang was taken to the hospital with a leg injury. Bullet pieces were recovered from his leg; he said he gave the fragments to police.
Bang said he never thought this could happen. He said he’ll never step foot in a dance studio again.
-ABC News’ Reena Roy
Jan 23, 2:53 PM EST
11th victim dies
One of the victims hospitalized after the Monterey Park mass shooting has died, bringing the death toll to 11, hospital officials said Monday.
The LAC+USC Medical Center said it still has three patients from the shooting: one in serious condition and two who are “are recovering.”
Jan 23, 1:12 PM EST
Suspect ‘distrusted everyone,’ acquaintance says
The mass shooting suspect, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, filed for divorce from his then-wife in 2005, according to court filings. The judge approved the divorce in 2006.
It appears he worked as a professional trucker for at least 20 years. He was the chief executive officer of a San Gabriel-based business called Tran’s Trucking Inc., established in 2002 and dissolved in 2004, according to incorporation filings.
Tran was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police. No motive for the massacre has been determined. According to law enforcement sources, Tran had no known criminal history.
Tran’s former tenant and longtime acquaintance, who wished to remain unnamed, told ABC News that the suspect was a regular at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where the massacre unfolded, and Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio, where Tran entered with a gun later that night and was disarmed by a good Samaritan.
He told ABC News that Tran liked to dance but that he didn’t have many friends at either of the dance studios.
He said Tran “distrusted everyone.”
He added, “I wouldn’t say he was aggressive, but he just couldn’t get along well with people.”
He said Tran spent his nights mainly alone, but would offer women free lessons in the dance studio. He said that upset the owner and staff instructors, who made their living on paid lessons.
“I think there was tension between Tran and those instructors,” he said.
In 2015, the former tenant filed a small claims case against Tran, claiming Tran owed $750 to him, court records show. He explained that he filed the lawsuit because Tran had refused to pay him his security deposit. He told ABC News that he did not serve Tran in the suit, but he did serve his co-owner of the property, Janine Liu. ABC News reached out to Liu but has not heard back.
Jan 23, 12:31 PM EST
Devastated family of 65-year-old victim speaks out
Mymy Nhan, a 65-year-old woman killed in the Monterey Park dance studio mass shooting, “spent so many years” going there to dance on weekends, her family said.
“It’s what she loved to do,” the family said.
“We are starting the Lunar New Year broken. We never imagined her life would end so suddenly,” her family said. “Her warm smile and kindness was contagious. She was a loving aunt, sister, daughter and friend. Mymy was our biggest cheerleader.”
Jan 23, 11:30 AM EST
Rep. Chu’s message to community: Go to Lunar New Year celebrations
Rep. Judy Chu, a Democratic congresswoman who represents Monterey Park, told ABC News’ GMA3 that she wants to know the gunman’s motive for Saturday night’s massacre that claimed 10 lives.
“For him to do this right after we had our opening celebration of Lunar New Year was just horrific. There were thousands of people that were only one block away celebrating this very, very important holiday,” she said. “It was a joyous time that immediately turned to tragedy.”
Chu said the community is “beginning the healing process.”
“It’s been a horrific 24 hours. People were so fearful and anxious about an active shooter being out there in the community,” she said.
The suspect was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police.
“My message to the community is: you are safe,” Chu said. “And it’s so important for people to heal and to go to the Lunar New Year celebrations that they have been looking forward to all year long.”
Chu added, “The feelings of Asian Americans are very raw right now because we’ve just come from three years of anti-Asian hate due to COVID.”
“In fact, the reason that everybody was so enthusiastic about this Lunar New Year is that it was on hiatus for three years due to COVID. This was the first time it was being done in three years where everybody was together and in person,” she said. “So it should have been a wonderful time for our community.”
Jan 23, 10:53 AM EST
Ten slain victims all in their 50s, 60s or 70s
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has released the names of two women killed in the mass shooting: 65-year-old My Nhan and 63-year-old Lilan Li.
The names of the other eight people killed have not yet been released. The coroner’s office has only identified them as a woman in her 50s; two women in their 60s; two men in their 60s; and three men in their 70s.
Jan 23, 9:51 AM EST
Governor visits Monterey Park
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted photos of his Sunday visit to Monterey Park.
He said he met with “leaders and those impacted by this terrible tragedy” and called their strength “incredible.”
“No other country in the world is terrorized by this constant stream of gun violence,” the Democratic governor tweeted. “We need real gun reform at a national level.”
Jan 23, 8:42 AM EST
Suspect had no documented criminal history
Authorities have found no criminal history for the suspect in the Monterey Park mass shooting, ABC News has learned.
Investigators are still looking into a possible motive, including domestic violence.
-ABC News’ Josh Margolin and Alex Stone
Jan 23, 7:36 AM EST
‘Something came over me,’ says man who disarmed shooter
The man who disarmed the Monterey Park mass shooter recalled how “something came over me” during an interview Monday on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.”
“I realized I needed to get the weapon away from him,” Brandon Tsay said. “I needed to take this weapon, disarm him or else everybody would have died.”
Jan 23, 7:01 AM EST
Dance studio releases statement
The dance studio in Monterey Park where Saturday’s mass shooting took place has released a statement.
“What should have been a festive night to welcome the first day of the Lunar New Year turned into a tragedy. Our heart goes out to all the victims, survivors, and their families,” Star Dance Studio said in a Facebook post late Sunday. “In this time of healing, we hope that all those who were affected have the space to grieve and process what transpired within the last 24 hours. In the meantime, all classes will be canceled and studio will be closed until further notice.”
Jan 23, 5:31 AM EST
Survivor says longtime dance partner was among those killed
Shally was dancing the jive with her longtime dance partner on Saturday night when a gunman entered the studio and opened fire.
“We go to hide under the table,” Shally, who only provided her first name, recalled during an interview with Los Angeles ABC station KABC. “I think [my partner] had got shot already but not realized yet.”
Shally said she saw the gunman leave to get more bullets. When he returned, he reloaded the gun and opened fire again, she said.
“I said, ‘Lie down.’ We all lied down,” Sally told KABC.
Shally said the shooter then fled the scene and she turned to her partner, who she realized was unconscious. She tried to wake him but then saw her hands were covered in blood, she said.
“I thought I got shot too,” she told KABC.
Shally said she then realized that her partner had been shot in the back and the blood on her hands was his, from when they were holding each other in fear while hiding under the table.
“‘Wake up, wake up,'” she recalled telling her partner. “He was dead.”
Shally, who did not want to share the name of her dance partner, said he was a good friend and that they had danced together every week for about 10 years. She described him as a 62-year-old Asian man who didn’t have any family and said he was also friends with her husband, whom she married a couple years ago.
“He’s a nice guy,” she told KABC of her dance partner. “We love to dance.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Orlando 113, Boston 98
Milwaukee 150, Detroit 130
Chicago 111, Atlanta 100
Houston 119, Minnesota 114
Utah 120, Charlotte 102
Portland 147, San Antonio 127
Sacramento 133, Memphis 100
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Toronto 5, NY Islanders 2
NY Rangers 6, Florida 2
Buffalo 3, Dallas 2 (OT)
Calgary 4, Columbus 3 (OT)
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Baylor 75, Kansas 69
Nevada 97, New Mexico 94
(SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif.) — Seven people were killed Monday in a shooting at two locations in San Mateo County, California, ABC station KGO reported.
There is also one person reportedly in critical condition, according to KGO, citing a source.
A suspect is in custody, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said.
This is the state’s second mass shooting in three days.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
All times Eastern.
Jan 23, 9:35 PM EST
Biden has been briefed on San Mateo County shooting, White House says
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the mass shooting in San Mateo County, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted Monday night.
“He has asked federal law enforcement to provide any necessary assistance to the local authorities. As more details become available, the President will be updated,” she wrote.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Jan 23, 9:35 PM EST
Sheriff’s office responded to shooting incident ‘with multiple victims’
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that it responded to a shooting incident “with multiple victims in the area of HWY 92 and the HMB [Half Moon Bay] City limits,” later adding that a suspect is in custody and there is “no ongoing threat to the community at this time.”
(MONTEREY PARK, Calif.) — Eleven people were killed and nine others were injured by a gunman who opened fire at a crowded dance studio in Monterey Park, California, on Saturday night, authorities said.
The suspect — identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran — fled the scene and traveled to nearby Alhambra, where he allegedly entered a second dance hall before being disarmed there that same night. Tran was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 23, 7:50 PM EST
Monterey Park was worst mass shooting in LA County history, supervisor says
Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn said that Saturday night’s shooting in Monterey, California, was the worst mass shooting in LA County history.
“Los Angeles County is in mourning,” Hahn said at a news conference on Monday.
Jan 23, 6:45 PM EST
Monterey Park suspect had criminal history, was making homemade firearm suppressors: Police
The suspected gunman in the Monterey Park, California, shooting that left 11 people dead had a limited criminal history, police said at a news conference on Monday.
Huu Can Tran, 72, was arrested in 1990 for unlawful possession of a firearm, according to officials.
Law enforcement officials served a search warrant at the suspect’s home and recovered a .308 caliber rifle and numerous electronic devices, police said.
According to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, the suspect manufactured homemade firearm suppressors.
-ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman
Jan 23, 5:53 PM EST
2 more victims identified
The LA County Coroner’s office released the names of two more victims from this weekend’s mass shooting.
Xiujuan Yu, 57, and Valentino Alvero, 68, were among the 11 victims, the coroner’s said Monday afternoon.
The 11th victim who died at the hospital on Monday was also described as a woman in her 70s.
-ABC News’ Alex Stone
Jan 23, 4:13 PM EST
Gov. Newsom laments ‘rinse and repeat’ of mass shootings
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday lamented the “rinse and repeat” motions of the U.S. between mass shootings, during which the nation mourns but doesn’t make changes.
Newsom called large-capacity magazines “weapons of pure, mass destruction,” and said it’s “disgraceful” that the U.S. does not address it.
“The No. 1 killer of our kids last year was guns. The hell’s wrong with us?” Newsom told reporters Monday.
Americans should have the “freedom to walk the damn streets without being fearful,” he said.
The governor said he didn’t hold a news conference on the Monterey Park shooting on Sunday because “I can’t do those again … saying the same thing over and over again. I mean, it’s insane.”
-ABC News’ Matt Fuhrman
Jan 23, 4:00 PM EST
Man injured in massacre recounts the horror
Heong Bang, a man in his 60s who was injured in the mass shooting, told ABC News he heard what he thought was celebratory Lunar New Year fireworks, then suddenly felt pain his leg.
He said he looked around and saw fellow dancers on the ground covered in blood.
Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo prays as members of the community hold a prayer vigil in…
Bang was taken to the hospital with a leg injury. Bullet pieces were recovered from his leg; he said he gave the fragments to police.
Bang said he never thought this could happen. He said he’ll never step foot in a dance studio again.
-ABC News’ Reena Roy
Jan 23, 2:53 PM EST
11th victim dies
One of the victims hospitalized after the Monterey Park mass shooting has died, bringing the death toll to 11, hospital officials said Monday.
The LAC+USC Medical Center said it still has three patients from the shooting: one in serious condition and two who are “are recovering.”
Jan 23, 1:12 PM EST
Suspect ‘distrusted everyone,’ acquaintance says
The mass shooting suspect, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, filed for divorce from his then-wife in 2005, according to court filings. The judge approved the divorce in 2006.
It appears he worked as a professional trucker for at least 20 years. He was the chief executive officer of a San Gabriel-based business called Tran’s Trucking Inc., established in 2002 and dissolved in 2004, according to incorporation filings.
Tran was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police. No motive for the massacre has been determined. According to law enforcement sources, Tran had no known criminal history.
Tran’s former tenant and longtime acquaintance, who wished to remain unnamed, told ABC News that the suspect was a regular at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where the massacre unfolded, and Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio, where Tran entered with a gun later that night and was disarmed by a good Samaritan.
He told ABC News that Tran liked to dance but that he didn’t have many friends at either of the dance studios.
He said Tran “distrusted everyone.”
He added, “I wouldn’t say he was aggressive, but he just couldn’t get along well with people.”
He said Tran spent his nights mainly alone, but would offer women free lessons in the dance studio. He said that upset the owner and staff instructors, who made their living on paid lessons.
“I think there was tension between Tran and those instructors,” he said.
In 2015, the former tenant filed a small claims case against Tran, claiming Tran owed $750 to him, court records show. He explained that he filed the lawsuit because Tran had refused to pay him his security deposit. He told ABC News that he did not serve Tran in the suit, but he did serve his co-owner of the property, Janine Liu. ABC News reached out to Liu but has not heard back.
Jan 23, 12:31 PM EST
Devastated family of 65-year-old victim speaks out
Mymy Nhan, a 65-year-old woman killed in the Monterey Park dance studio mass shooting, “spent so many years” going there to dance on weekends, her family said.
“It’s what she loved to do,” the family said.
“We are starting the Lunar New Year broken. We never imagined her life would end so suddenly,” her family said. “Her warm smile and kindness was contagious. She was a loving aunt, sister, daughter and friend. Mymy was our biggest cheerleader.”
Jan 23, 11:30 AM EST
Rep. Chu’s message to community: Go to Lunar New Year celebrations
Rep. Judy Chu, a Democratic congresswoman who represents Monterey Park, told ABC News’ GMA3 that she wants to know the gunman’s motive for Saturday night’s massacre that claimed 10 lives.
“For him to do this right after we had our opening celebration of Lunar New Year was just horrific. There were thousands of people that were only one block away celebrating this very, very important holiday,” she said. “It was a joyous time that immediately turned to tragedy.”
Chu said the community is “beginning the healing process.”
“It’s been a horrific 24 hours. People were so fearful and anxious about an active shooter being out there in the community,” she said.
The suspect was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police.
“My message to the community is: you are safe,” Chu said. “And it’s so important for people to heal and to go to the Lunar New Year celebrations that they have been looking forward to all year long.”
Chu added, “The feelings of Asian Americans are very raw right now because we’ve just come from three years of anti-Asian hate due to COVID.”
“In fact, the reason that everybody was so enthusiastic about this Lunar New Year is that it was on hiatus for three years due to COVID. This was the first time it was being done in three years where everybody was together and in person,” she said. “So it should have been a wonderful time for our community.”
Jan 23, 10:53 AM EST
Ten slain victims all in their 50s, 60s or 70s
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has released the names of two women killed in the mass shooting: 65-year-old My Nhan and 63-year-old Lilan Li.
The names of the other eight people killed have not yet been released. The coroner’s office has only identified them as a woman in her 50s; two women in their 60s; two men in their 60s; and three men in their 70s.
Jan 23, 9:51 AM EST
Governor visits Monterey Park
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted photos of his Sunday visit to Monterey Park.
He said he met with “leaders and those impacted by this terrible tragedy” and called their strength “incredible.”
“No other country in the world is terrorized by this constant stream of gun violence,” the Democratic governor tweeted. “We need real gun reform at a national level.”
Jan 23, 8:42 AM EST
Suspect had no documented criminal history
Authorities have found no criminal history for the suspect in the Monterey Park mass shooting, ABC News has learned.
Investigators are still looking into a possible motive, including domestic violence.
-ABC News’ Josh Margolin and Alex Stone
Jan 23, 7:36 AM EST
‘Something came over me,’ says man who disarmed shooter
The man who disarmed the Monterey Park mass shooter recalled how “something came over me” during an interview Monday on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.”
“I realized I needed to get the weapon away from him,” Brandon Tsay said. “I needed to take this weapon, disarm him or else everybody would have died.”
Jan 23, 7:01 AM EST
Dance studio releases statement
The dance studio in Monterey Park where Saturday’s mass shooting took place has released a statement.
“What should have been a festive night to welcome the first day of the Lunar New Year turned into a tragedy. Our heart goes out to all the victims, survivors, and their families,” Star Dance Studio said in a Facebook post late Sunday. “In this time of healing, we hope that all those who were affected have the space to grieve and process what transpired within the last 24 hours. In the meantime, all classes will be canceled and studio will be closed until further notice.”
Jan 23, 5:31 AM EST
Survivor says longtime dance partner was among those killed
Shally was dancing the jive with her longtime dance partner on Saturday night when a gunman entered the studio and opened fire.
“We go to hide under the table,” Shally, who only provided her first name, recalled during an interview with Los Angeles ABC station KABC. “I think [my partner] had got shot already but not realized yet.”
Shally said she saw the gunman leave to get more bullets. When he returned, he reloaded the gun and opened fire again, she said.
“I said, ‘Lie down.’ We all lied down,” Sally told KABC.
Shally said the shooter then fled the scene and she turned to her partner, who she realized was unconscious. She tried to wake him but then saw her hands were covered in blood, she said.
“I thought I got shot too,” she told KABC.
Shally said she then realized that her partner had been shot in the back and the blood on her hands was his, from when they were holding each other in fear while hiding under the table.
“‘Wake up, wake up,'” she recalled telling her partner. “He was dead.”
Shally, who did not want to share the name of her dance partner, said he was a good friend and that they had danced together every week for about 10 years. She described him as a 62-year-old Asian man who didn’t have any family and said he was also friends with her husband, whom she married a couple years ago.
“He’s a nice guy,” she told KABC of her dance partner. “We love to dance.”
(WASHINGTON) — Twelve countries have agreed to supply Ukraine with around 100 Leopard 2 tanks if the German government gives its consent, according to a senior Ukrainian official who spoke exclusively to ABC News.
Those agreements, the source said, were made at Friday’s summit at Ramstein US Air Force Base in Germany when allied nations discussed military support for Ukraine.
Countries such as Poland and Finland have already indicated publicly that they are willing to provide a number of their Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian official with knowledge of the matter said Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark were also willing to provide some of their tanks, however Germany’s consent was still necessary for the coalition of countries to proceed on the matter.
As the country where the military hardware is manufactured, Germany has to approve the export license if countries want to supply some of their tanks to a third nation, such as Ukraine.
The Biden administration and other western governments are working to increase Ukraine’s military capabilities ahead of a possible escalation in the fighting in the coming weeks or months.
During a briefing last week, a western diplomat called it “the right moment” to provide new capabilities such as tanks to Ukraine.
“Ukraine’s allies have the ability to increase the quantity and quality of Ukraine’s military capabilities in a way that Russia simply doesn’t”, the diplomat said.
However the senior Ukrainian official, who spoke with ABC News on condition of anonymity, said the German-made Leopard tanks were also urgently needed by Ukraine because its stocks of ammunition for its soviet-era tanks are “running out.”
Ukraine is unable to produce new ammunition for these Soviet era tanks, the official said, “so this forced us to find an alternative way.”
Earlier this month the U.K. made a symbolic gesture by pledging to supply Ukraine with 14 of its Challenger 2 tanks.
The move was an attempt by the U.K. government to convince Berlin to move on its Leopards. The senior Ukrainian official with knowledge of the matter told ABC News that it helped.
“It started to be realistic after the decision in the UK. (UK Defense) Minister Wallace broke through this wall,” the official said.
Germany has faced criticism for delaying its decision on whether to approve the export of Leopard tanks.
In an interview broadcast on German TV last Thursday, the day before the Ramstein summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested the delay was costing lives.
“People die here, every day”, he said. “In plain language, can you deliver Leopards or not?”
However the senior Ukrainian source told ABC News that there was a great “understanding” that the Ramstein summit took place on the second working day for the newly-appointed German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius.
“It’s not the time to put pressure on a newly appointed minister of defense. We fully understand (the need) for him to discuss it further,” the official told ABC News.
Public Image Ltd. has just dropped a new video for their recently released single “Hawaii,” which features handwritten lyrics set against a backdrop of surfers catching waves.
As previously reported, John Lydon and his band are set to perform “Hawaii” at the 67th annual Eurovision Song Contest, where they will represent Ireland. The February 3 performance will air on Ireland’s The Late Late Show, and fans can stream it live worldwide.
Lydon wrote “Hawaii” for his wife, Nora, who is living with Alzheimer’s. “It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most,” he says. “It’s also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all.”
(WASHINGTON) — A game of political musical chairs is unfolding in Indiana ahead of the 2024 campaign cycle as some of the state’s most high-profile Republicans begin to lay the groundwork for new prospects amid a competitive national Senate landscape.
The looming shuffle kicked off after Sen. Mike Braun announced in December that he plans to run for governor rather than pursue a second term in office.
Since then, Rep. Jim Banks officially threw his hat into the ring to succeed Braun and at least two other Hoosier Republicans — Rep. Victoria Spartz and former Gov. Mitch Daniels — have emerged as potential contenders. Spartz confirmed the possibility in December and while Daniels has not publicly acknowledged the possibility of a Senate run, he hasn’t ruled it out either, sources told ABC News.
State Republican operatives said that although primaries featuring multiple federal-level lawmakers on the same ticket is not a new phenomenon, it does give Indiana a unique political brand that favors candidates’ abilities to articulate and execute conservative policies.
“The Republican Party in Indiana is both blessed and cursed,” said Pete Seat, who served as an executive director for the Indiana Republican Party before pursuing a bid for state treasurer in 2022.
“It’s blessed in that it has an exceptionally deep bench of talent — just look at the fact that 90% of county-wide offices are held by Republicans. We have supermajorities in the state House and the state Senate. We’ve got a lot of people who could aspire to running for federal office. But that’s also the curse: There’s only so many options [available],” Seat told ABC News in an interview.
The 2024 Senate race will come the same year as the presidential election, which all but ensures high voter interest and media coverage. Republicans are also looking to take back the chamber, and holding Braun’s seat makes it all the easier to focus on the 23 Senate seats held by Democrats or independents, multiple of them in red or swing states.
Armed with a broad spectrum of Republican talent, Hoosier conservatives are now closely watching whether Daniels decides to get back into politics. He served eight years as the state’s top executive but left office in 2013 due to term limits.
Since then, Daniels has been working as the president of Purdue University while offering opinions on the national environment as a contributing columnist for The Washington Post. Daniels stepped down from his post at Purdue at the end of last year, and in November he penned a column on Election Day that warned about how “transparent nonsense can be shielded by tribalism or the groupthink of ‘elite’ opinion” while applying that idea to fiscal policy.
“If a notion is convenient enough in justifying a preferred outcome, it can survive despite mountains of evidentiary, or just common sense, refutation. Think of imaginary stolen elections or defunding police in an era of exploding crime,” Daniels wrote at the time.
The combination of policy topics cited by Daniels — anti-election denialism, pro-police — could lay the groundwork for the kind of platform the former governor would likely express on the campaign trail.
“If there was a Mount Rushmore of Indiana politicians, Mitch Daniels would be on it,” former Rep. Luke Messer told ABC News, while also noting that Daniels’ stature within the party does not preclude other Republicans from running successful campaigns.
The mounting speculation surrounding the upcoming Republican primary lineup is already opening the door for political attacks. In an online video earlier this month, the conservative anti-tax group Club for Growth threw its support behind Banks while labeling Daniels as “an old guard Republican clinging to the old ways of the bad old days.”
Nearly a week into his Senate candidacy, Banks boasts another high-profile ally: former President Donald Trump.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, Banks welcomed Trump to join him on the campaign trail, and the former president — who announced his third presidential bid in November — appeared to lean into the idea on conservative social media.
Meanwhile, Spartz made waves earlier this month by changing her vote amid the contentious House election for the speakership. She opted to vote “present” on the fourth ballot before ultimately voting in favor of now-Speaker Kevin McCarthy on the 12th ballot. At the time, the congresswoman attributed her decision to shift the dynamics of the fourth ballot to her belief that Republicans needed to negotiate further until one candidate had enough support to secure the gavel.
In a December campaign email, Spartz expressed uncertainty about her future plans in politics but confirmed being “asked to consider” a Senate run. The congresswoman did not specify who requested her consideration for the role.
“I love our Republic dearly and understand how important these times are for our nation, but I need to decide if I am ready to commit at least 8 more years to Washington D.C. As some of you might know, I am not a huge fan of it,” Spartz wrote in the email, adding that she would make a decision about “how and where I can bring the most value and will let you know for sure in January-February of next year.”
Despite the current rough contours of the race, state Republicans go into 2024 with a heavy advantage to win the Senate seat, thereby ensuring the national spotlight — as well as the bulk of political spending — will stay focused on them into next year’s primary election.
In November, incumbent Sen. Todd Young was reelected in a landslide victory that nearly reached 60% of the vote.
Democrats appear to also be on shaky ground in the state’s 3rd Congressional District, which will be open due to Banks’ Senate candidacy. The district covers the northeastern corner of Indiana and has a partisan lean of 34 points, according to FiveThirtyEight. Banks won reelection with 65% of the vote in the fall.
Spartz represents the 5th Congressional District, where she also won by double digits, topping 60% of the vote.
The area covers parts of the northern Indianapolis ring counties where Republicans boast a partisan lean of 22 points over Democrats.
“Look at Indiana in 2022 — we actually did have a red wave, other states didn’t,” Seat, formerly with the state GOP, told ABC News. “We were talking about how it was going to be a wash across the shores, from sea to shining sea. Well, it happened here in the middle of America, and it didn’t happen in other places.”
