Survivors at a seniors center to provide aid to victims and families on Sunday after a deadly shooting in Monterey Park that claimed 10 lives and injured 10 on Saturday, Jan. 21. A Resident Resource Center was established.
Members of the City of Los Angeles and FBI crisis response teams, the county’s Department of Mental Health and the Red Cross came Sunday to the Langley Center for the Elderly at 400 Emerson Avenue to provide food, aid and mental health services, Los Angeles said. said. County Sheriff’s Deputy Miguel Meza.
“Come on. We are here to provide any help we can,” Meza said.
By around 4pm, only a handful of people had come to the center asking for help.
A resident, identified only as “Nick,” came to the center in the evening seeking information about a friend of his who was near the shooting on Saturday.
“I couldn’t reach him on the phone. The last time I heard was when the shooting happened,” he said. “I can’t get any information about him. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
Nick said he spent all day walking around the neighborhood on Sunday.
Other residents of the area were similarly shaken by the violence in quiet communities.
“I feel safe going out at 12:00 am,” said Eric Chin, who lives near the senior center. I feel safe because there could be
“I didn’t expect it to happen in Monterey Park,” he said.
Dana Garfin, Ph.D., assistant professor of community health sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health, says trauma following a mass violence event affects the entire community, not just the victim or survivor.
“It shatters our assumptions about safety and security where it happened,” she said. “If you know someone or knew someone who knows someone, all of these types of touchpoints can add to the distress in your community.”
Some residents spent the day looking for ways to provide any help they could, such as bringing hot meals and medicines to the center.
One resident, Teresa Fong, 42, said she was still haunted by the shooting but knew she had to help.
Around 2:00 pm, she delivered two platters of food that she had prepared at home.
Fong, who has lived on McFerrin Avenue for about 15 years, just two blocks from where the shooting took place, said he never imagined this kind of violence in his city.
“We’re not a city that people who aren’t from here know,” she said.
“Chinese New Year is a happy holiday to celebrate life,” she said. “Don’t be the one who grieves the death of a family member.”
Southern California’s Asian community laments Monterey Park shooting
Diana Nguyen, 27, another Monterey Park resident, said she was speechless when she woke up on Sunday and heard what had happened. She stayed close to the scene of the shooting and sought both support and comfort from other grieving community members.
“I just want to help. We are experiencing the worst acts of violence I have ever seen here and I don’t know what to do,” Nguyen said.
Garfin said it’s a normal human reaction to feel sadness, grief, and a sense of loss after a major violent event. She said it depends on the person.
“Some people need different things,” she said. “Some people like to talk to process their emotions, others don’t. A lot of people are in pain, especially in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy.”
“The best way to provide support is to listen without pressure,” she said.
The Langley Center will remain closed for all senior programs through Saturday, January 28, as it will continue to serve as a survivor resource center.For center assistance, call 626-307-1395
Langley Center will be closed for all senior programs from Monday, January 23 through Saturday, January 28. During this time, the Langley Center will serve as a survivor resource center. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call (626) 307-1395.@ Monterey Park Crek pic.twitter.com/dN762xJYJb
— Monterey Park City (@CityofMPK) January 23, 2023
GoFundMe was launched to help those affected by the shooting and their families.
