A man inside a vehicle died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday after engaging police in an hourslong standoff after he was linked to an incident where ten were shot dead in Monterey Park earlier.Police officials said the man inside the vehicle was the man they believed to be the gunman in the Monterey Park mass shooting.Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna had initially only told reporters that a ‘tactical’ police operation was underway during a news briefing on Sunday.Our people have added patrols across our Asian communities today and will meet with any organizers hosting New Year celebrations. We are working closely with @LASDHQ and @MontereyParkPD to support in any manner possible. Such a tragic loss of life and a dark day. https://t.co/WS5RaY9h4H— Chief Michel Moore (@LAPDChiefMoore) January 22, 2023The motive behind the shooting is unclear.Police said their suspect was an Asian maleThe Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Sunday described their suspect as being an Asian male. Police said they knew the name of suspect as well, but revealing it could complicate their efforts to apprehend him.The massive police operation to hunt down the gunman began after he escaped after killing 10 people at a dance venue in Monterey Park, near Los Angeles, California.The dance venue was near the site of a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration that had been attended by thousands of people and is among one of the largest in Southern California.The predominantly Asian community in Monterey Park, only eight miles east of downtown Los Angeles, was shaken by the news of shooting. Festivities were canceled on Sunday.About 60,000 people live in the Los Angeles suburb.Our statement on the devastating events in Monterey Park. #StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/h59uSgld4s— Stop AAPI Hate (@StopAAPIHate) January 22, 2023How the search for suspect gunman unfoldedOn Sunday, police about 20 miles (34 kilometers) away in Torrance, California, were using armored vehicles to surround a white cargo van that they believed connected to the shooting suspect, officials said.Officers smashed a window and entered the van at around 1 p.m. local time (2100 GMT).Aerial footage showed what appeared to be the body of a man slumped in the driver’s seat.Several police vehicles left the scene after that, but there was no confirmation on whether there was a body inside. Sheriff Robert Luna said that a “tactical incident” was underway before police forced their entry into the van.Luna said the man resembling the suspect had been in Torrance and police believed there was a person inside the vehicle.“We don’t know their condition,” he said. “Could it be our suspect? Possibly.”On Saturday January 21, 2023 at 10:22 PM the suspect male/adult/Asian pictured above was involved in a shooting. Investigators have identified him as a Homicide suspect and he should be considered armed and dangerous. Contact LASD Homicide with any information at 323-890-5000. pic.twitter.com/2gPUBBybvv— Robert Luna (@LACoSheriff) January 22, 2023What do we know about the shooting?The shooting took place after 10 p.m. (0600 Saturday GMT) and Luna told reporters that 10 people were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said five of the dead were women and five men.About 30 minutes after the shooting, a man with a gun entered the Lai Lai Ballroom, which is around 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from the site of the Monterey Park shooting.Authorities said earlier that they believe the two events are connected.The LAPD joins with our community members as they celebrate the Lunar New Year in Chinatown. The tragic news from Monterey Park remains in everyone’s mind, and in an abundance of caution, we will be providing extra patrols in our diverse Asian communities throughout Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/ax5RCmaEZJ— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 22, 2023Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia said in a tweet, “Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones tonight in our neighboring city, Monterey Park, where a mass shooting just occurred.”The tragedy marked the fifth mass killing in the United States this year, according to The Associated Press/USA Today database on mass killings in the US.This article first appeared on DW.