Hello, everyone! 
 

In light of the devastating mass shooting in Monterey Park, California on Saturday, today’s newsletter will cover that event and recent developments. As we strive to bring accurate, empathetic and community-centered reporting, today’s newsletter will also have a list of resources available for those who are hurting, grieving, fearful and anxious. NextShark sends our deepest condolences to the loved ones and the community impacted the most. To our readers, know we stand with you.

Brandon Tsay is a hero. 
 

The third-generation operator of the family-owned Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in Alhambra, California prevented more lives from being lost on Saturday. Shortly after the identified suspect, Huu Can Tran, 72, fled the scene of the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey, Tran showed up at Lai Lai, just two miles North looking for more people to harm. Tsay fought and wrestled with Tran for about a minute and a half before finally disarming him and pointing the gun back at Tran as a deterrent.   
 

An initial news briefing on Sunday afternoon brought reports that “two community members” disarmed Tran at the Alhambra dance studio according to Sheriff Robert Luna of Los Angeles County. However, Tsay’s family reviewed footage from the lobby of the ballroom and say it was Brandon alone who pried the gun away from Tran. 
 

Tsay says his grandmother chose the name “Lai Lai” meaning “come, come.”

Stars like Simu Liu, Daniel Dae Kim, Lisa Ling, George Takei and Sherry Cola, among many others, have spoken out in the wake of the shooting.

Liu called for more media coverage of the event and tweeted, “For those who are unfamiliar, Monterey Park is a city in LA County that is majority AAPI. It’s home of Asian American families, parents, grandparents, siblings, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles. All of whom were looking forward to celebrating the New Year this weekend. I am shocked, saddened, angered, and heartbroken for the families who have been affected tonight.” Takei tweeted, “Just heard the horrifying news out of Monterey Park, CA. A whole community wracked by gun violence and death, on what should have been a joyous Lunar New Year celebration. No motive is yet known. But we must act to end the ability of murderers to take so many lives so brutally.” Lisa Ling on Instagram wrote, “While what happened Saturday night in Monterey Park may not have been a ‘hate crime,’ as defined by law, the killer had hate in his heart. Arm him or anyone like him with a semi-automatic weapon, and you have a massacre. And as long as they are legal in America, we’ll have more.” 

Daniel Dae Kim and Sherry Cola both spoke out while attending the Sundance Film Festival. Kim, alongside Gold House and The Asian American Foundation, were spearheading the AAPI House at the festival, known as the Sunrise Collective. Cola was at Sundance as a cast member of the film “Shortcomings” with Randall Park in his directorial debut. 

Kim in a tweet wrote, “On a traditional day of celebration, today it is also marked by tragedy. We often speak of the term ‘community.’ As important as it is for ours to come together in times of celebration, perhaps it’s even more important to be there for each other in times of loss. Today, as it is all too often, my heart is with all the victims of gun violence in America, and especially the victims of #MontereyPark.” 

Cola said in an interview with the Associated Press, “I definitely cried myself to sleep, to be honest, because this is Monterey Park, California, like where I grew up, the 626, San Gabriel Valley. This is where my Buddhist temple is, you know? Like all my friends I grew up with, they were born in Monterey Park. It’s this hometown that I’m so proud to call my hometown. It’s just a reminder, as we premiere this film today, celebrating unapologetic, authentic AAPI voices in a different way, it’s just a reminder that we still have to reclaim our validation as human beings in this country and in this industry.”

GoFundMe: Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), in partnership with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF), Stop AAPI Hate, Gold House, Stand with Asian Americans and Chinatown Service Center, has organized a GoFundMe page for the benefit of the victims. As of this writing, the campaign has raised over $19,000. 

Memorial and resource center: A memorial honoring the lives lost and survivors has been established at Monterey Park City Hall located on 320 W. Newmark Avenue. A resource center is open at the Langley Senior Citizen Center in Monterey Park.  

Asian Mental Health Collective: A list of mental health and other great resources.

Grief circle: Hate Is A Virus will host an online AAPI community grief circle on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 6:00 p.m. PT. Registration link is here.   

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California hotline: Confidential hotline available in seven Asian languages.