Asian Americans In Holmdel Offer Sympathy After Calif. Shooting

HOLMDEL, NJ — Asian Americans in Holmdel offered words of sympathy and support following the mass shooting this weekend at a ballroom celebration in the community of Monterey Park, Calif.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families of the mass shooting at Monterey Park," said Holmdel resident Kin Gee.

He said Monterey Park is the country’s first Asian-majority suburb.

"This tragic shooting occurred on the eve of the Lunar New Year, the first year that the Lunar New Year was added as a California State holiday," he noted.

Gee is a member of the New Jersey Asian American Pacific Islander Commission. He said New Jersey passed a law for the creation of the commission with a goal to address the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Gee said that New Jersey's population of Asian Americans is approximately 10 percent. Holmdel, he said, has an Asian-American population of about 20 percent, on a par with neighboring Marlboro.

As authorities try to determine the motivation of the shooting, the impact on the Asian-American community everywhere is being deeply felt.

"All Americans, regardless of color, race, or ethnicity, have a fundamental right to walk public streets and be at social gatherings without fear of violence or attacks. We need to work together to make this ideal a reality and we need to do it soon," Gee said.

The shooting in California fatally wounded 10 people at the scene and another 10 were injured and hospitalized.

The attack happened at about 10:20 p.m. Saturday at Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park, Calif., following a Lunar New Year celebration, according to police. An 11th victim died at the hospital Monday morning, authorities said.

The 72-year-old suspect in the shooting, Huu Can Tran, attempted to enter a second ballroom, but his automatic pistol was wrested from him by a young bystander.

The suspect then fled in a van and was at large for several hours until his van was located. After a standoff with police, the suspect was discovered in the van, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities in California said.

Holmdel resident Chiung-Yin Cheng Liu, chairperson of the Holmdel Heritage Committee, also expressed her personal sadness and sympathy.

"I am sending my deepest sympathy to these innocent victims of this tragic incident in Monterey Park, California," she said.

"It's very difficult to understand how this could happen at the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebration. Instead of a joyful gathering with families and friends on Chinese New Year Eve, they were going through a horrified time."

"Holmdel has a unique diversity in culture and ethnicity. I am thankful to have great residents in Holmdel. I am also appreciative of Holmdel Police Department's strong team effort in keeping each one of us feeling comfortable and safe for us to call Holmdel home," she added.

The Heritage Committee, created under the auspices of the Township Committee, was formed to "get a better understanding of the things currently impacting members of the various diverse communities within Holmdel and to come up with creative ways to address issues," creating more community engagement, according to the township.

Gov. Phil Murphy also released a statement on the California shootings on Sunday.

“When any community cannot gather to celebrate without fear of being the victim of the next mass shooting, we have lost our way. We cannot be a nation where such gun violence is tolerated and normalized," Murphy said.

And he expressed his sympathy to the Asian-America community.

"All of New Jersey stands firmly with the AAPI community in Monterey Park, California, and at home, with the families and friends of those killed or injured, and with the members of law enforcement," he said.

And Gee said he hopes more knowledge will increase understanding.

"The United States is a great nation because of our cultural diversity. More than ever, we need to increase public awareness of the history, sacrifices, and contributions of Asian Americans that have helped shape our nation," he said.