The suspect, an Asian man aged between 30 and 50, fled the scene and has yet to be found, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press conference on Sunday. At this point, police don’t believe the gunman used an assault rifle.

The LA County Sheriff’s Department is working with the Monterey Park Police Department, as well as the FBI field office in LA, among other agencies.

The wounded, whose condition ranges from stable to critical, have been taken to multiple hospitals in the vicinity. Ten people died at the scene — five women and five men, Luna said.

Monterey Park, about 16km east of Los Angeles, has a population of around 60,000 people — roughly 65% of whom are Asian, according to Census data. Saturday’s Lunar New Year celebration had drawn a large crowd. Videos posted on social media showed people being loaded on to stretchers and placed into ambulances.

“Even though the incident did not occur at the 2023 Lunar New Year Festival, an active investigation is currently under way and the area near and around the festival is affected,” a statement on Monterey Park’s government website said. “As a precaution and for the safety of everyone, the City regrets to announce the cancellation of the second day of the festival.”

While it’s unclear what the motives were for Saturday’s shooting, anti-Asian hate crimes have been on the rise in the US.

“Everything is on the table,” Luna said. “We don’t know if this is a hate crime as described by law.