Mass shooting leaves at least XX dead in Monterey Park, California

Nine people were killed in a mass shooting in Monterey Park, Calif. late Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

The incident took place at around 10:22 p.m. local time (1:22 a.m. ET), the statement said. It did not say if other people had been injured.  

Sgt. Bob Boese of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told the Associated Press that the shooter is a male.

It was unclear if the suspect was in custody.

The shooting came after thousands of people had gathered for a Lunar New Year Festival in the small city around 10 miles east of Los Angeles of about 60,000 people with a large Asian population.

The two-day event features “food booths with various types of delectable items, amusement rides, and lots of live entertainment,” according to the city’s website.

Police and fire units could be seen swarming the area in video posted to social media. Others showed victims being transferred to ambulances.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.