The suspect in a dance hall shooting rampage in Monterey Park went to a police station weeks before to report that his family had tried to poison him, among other allegations, police said Monday.
Huu Can Tran, 72, walked into a Hemet police station Jan. 7 and 9, “alleging past fraud, theft, and poisoning allegations involving his family in the Los Angeles area 10 to 20 years ago,” the Hemet Police Department revealed.
Tran, who had a residence in Hemet, said he would return to the station with documentation of his claims, but he never went back, the department said. The department did not reveal further details about the gunman’s visit to the station.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said his department was looking into whether the allegations Tran made to Hemet police contributed to the "madness that occurred" Saturday.
Hemet is located several dozen miles southeast of Monterey Park. One of Tran's neighbors described him to NBC4 as a pleasant man who would always smile and wave at her. Ronald Smith echoed the sentiment that Tran, whom Smith said went by "Andy" and kept to himself, was pleasant. Tran occasionally rode his motorcycle and was often cleaning his van, which he seemed to take great pride in, Smith said.
Another neighbor, Pat Roth, said Tran appeared harmless. "He didn't seem like he'd harm a fly, you know. He wasn't a big guy. He'd pet your dog when you walked by. Friends came over last night and they said, 'I can't believe that was him,'" Roth said.
Smith said, though, that he did find it odd that Tran had almost no furniture in his home. Smith noted that he never saw family or friends visiting Tran.
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Police continue to investigate why Tran gunned down at least 11 people Saturday night during a Lunar New Year celebration. The 11th victim died Monday at a hospital. The shooting left another nine injured, including some who remain in critical condition.
Speaking with NBC News, Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo said the motive might have involved a personal relationship somehow connected to the dance hall. Lo said there appeared to be a "history of domestic violence," but did not provide more details.
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"We do understand that he may have had a history of visiting this dance hall and perhaps the motivation has to do with some personal relationships, but that’s something that I think investigators are still uncovering and investigating and we’ll probably find out more in the hours ahead or even days ahead," Lo said.
Tran filed for divorce in 2005 in Los Angeles County, court records show. NBC News has reached out to the person believed to be his ex-wife for comment.
Hours after the shooting, police said Tran was found dead in a van in Torrance from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Star Ballroom Dance Studio's website said it was hosting an event Saturday night called "Star Night" from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. It was not immediately clear whether the shooter knew anyone at the dance hall event.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office revealed the identities of two victims: Mymy Nhan, 65, and Lilan Li, 63. The coroner's office initially said Nhan's first name was My, but her family later provided the correct spelling.
