SWAT vehicles searched a white cargo van in a shopping centre parking lot as police released the first images of the suspect alleged to be involved in a mass shooting that killed 10 in California.
A suspected gunman opened fire at a dance studio killing 10 and injuring a further 10 during Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park, near Los Angeles, before fleeing the scene.
Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said the suspected shooter was an "Asian male". He also confirmed that a "white cargo van" was a vehicle of interest.
Police were seen opening the passenger and driver-side doors as they started to search the vehicle. Broken glass was also seen on the floor as they pulled out what look likes a red and blue sheet.
One local report suggested "a person fell out" on the driver's side and "wasn't moving".
A coroner's van was seen arriving at the scene sometime later.
Sheriff Luna Police said he did not know if the individual in the van was the Monterey Park shooting suspect. He added that "we believe there is a person inside the vehicle but we don't know their condition".
LASD released images of the alleged gunman on Facebook and warned that he "should be considered armed and dangerous".
The suspect has been described as an Asian male, 5 feet and 10 inches tall, and wearing a black leather jacket, hat, and glasses.
Sheriff Luna said they know the name of the suspect but are currently not releasing it because they don't want to "inhibit the investigation".
A large cordon was in place around the white van with people being told to leave the area due to a "hazmat threat", local reports say.
A few blocks away, a SWAT vehicle was seen searching another white van. Local reports suggested that the first van had licence plates belonging to another vehicle.
It is not clear if it's connected.
Investigators now say they believe the shooting is connected to an incident at a different dance studio.
Nearby in Alhambra, a gunman reportedly entered the Lai Lai Ballroom after shots were fired in Monterey Park.
Sheriff Luna said they were told that a man was disarmed and wrestled before running off.
He said a weapon was recovered from that scene. He later said the description of that person was also an Asian male.
No details about the exact firearm that was used in Monterey Park have been released, but it was confirmed to not be an assault rifle.
The shooting happened at Star Ballroom Dance Studio at about 10:22pm (6:22am UK time), police said.
When police arrived they found 10 people dead, including five females and five males. A further 10 were rushed to hospital and remained in various conditions from stable to critical.
Chinese Chamber of Commerce leader Chester Chong told ABC7 that he believed the shooting was related to a domestic dispute and not a hate crime.
Mr Chong told local news that he heard through friends who were at the event that a woman was invited to the event and not her husband, which reportedly made him upset.
Police have not given a possible motive for the shooting.
Seung Won Choi, who owns the Clam House seafood barbecue restaurant across the street from where the shooting happened, told The Los Angeles Times that three people rushed into his business and told him to lock the door.
The people said to Choi that there was a shooter with a gun who had multiple rounds of ammunition on him.
Wong Wei, who lives nearby, told The Los Angeles Times that his friend was in a bathroom at the dance studio when the shooting started. When she came out, he said, she saw a gunman and three bodies.
US President Joe Biden tweeted that he and First Lady Jill Biden were “praying for those killed and injured.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the shooting “absolutely devastating.”
She said: "As investigations determine whether these murders were motivated by Asian hate, we continue to stand united against all attempts to divide us."
