The celebration of the Lunar New Year in California's Monterey Park Saturday night turned into a tragedy when a 72-year-old gunman opened fire at a nearby dance studio, killing at least 10 people.

As authorities continue to search for a motive behind the shooting, a local community leader said the act was likely driven by jealousy.

Chester Chong, a prominent member of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and also a community leader in the neighborhood majorly inhabited by Chinese-Americans, told ABC 7 that the suspect, Huu Can Tran, was possibly enraged that his wife was invited in an event the studio's owner was holding on the day and he wasn't. Tran was found dead in Torrence with a self-inflicted gunshot wound hours after the rampage.

Tran apparently had been a regular at the dance studio, at least three people, including his ex-wife, confirmed to CNN. His former wife, who asked not to be named, told the outlet that she first met Tran at the venue nearly two decades ago after he offered to give her free lessons. The pair married soon before eventually divorcing each other in 2005. She added the man had been a permanent presence at the dance hall earlier but wasn't sure if he visited the place in recent years.

Another man who was acquainted with Tran between the late 2000s and early 2010s told CNN that the dance hall is barely a 5-minute drive from his house. The friend, who also wished to remain anonymous, said Tran always had the feeling that other people said "evil things about him." He also described how he was "hostile to a lot of people there," easily irritated, and didn't seem to trust easily.

Tran is also believed to be the suspect who barged into a dance studio late Saturday in the nearby city of Alhambra within just 20 to 30 minutes after the Monterey Park shooting. A group of people wrestled his gun away at the second venue, with Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna saying it could be the same weapon he used in the Monterey Park shooting.

Some of those injured in the Monterey Park shooting remained in critical condition as of Sunday, Luna said in a news conference, as per ABC News.

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Representation. A gun. IIIBlackhartIII/Pixabay
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