A Chinese-American man (who has never handled a gun in his life) – single-handedly took-on the determined mass murderer (Vietnamese migrant Huu Can Tran) – in the foyer of the Lai Lai Ballroom and Studio situated in the Alhambra area of California! Just minutes earlier, Huu Can Tran had used his Cobray Mac11 Sub-Machine Pistol (discharging at least twenty bullets from the 30-round magazine) against numerous innocent Asian men and women (aged between 50-60 years old) – who had gathered to celebrate Chinese New Year at the Star Ballroom and Dance Studio situated in nearby Monterey Park. Indeed, Alhambra is situated just 2.28 miles (3.22 km) North of Monterey Park.
Although the Chinese community is associated with martial arts practice – many older people – (particularly ‘couples’) prefer to participate in various forms of dancing to keep fit. This is not unusual within Chinese communities and it would seem that this area of California caters to this activity as it contains many ‘ballrooms’ or ‘dance halls’ (the sort of thing the UK used to have up until the 1950s, etc). The Asian hero in question is 26 year old ‘Brendon Tsay‘ – who is a computer coder by trade. However, his family owns the Lai Lai Ballroom and he helps out with its management. He has not claimed to be schooled in martial arts and yet when faced with extrene danger – he unhesitatingly placed himself between Huu Can Tran and the people he tried to murder!
As the entire encounter has been captured upon the Lai Lai Ballroom security cameras – the ensuing fight shows Brendon Tsay close the distance between himself and Huu Can Tran (who could have pulled the trigger at any moment) and expertly manage to keep the gun aimed away from himself and mostly at the floor – where any firing would have caused the least damage! This all seems to have been spontaneous – and it does seem true that ‘heroes’ emerge when the world needs them most! Whatever the case, Brendon Tsay managed to ‘disarm’ Huu Can Tran (expertly used his own body to keep Huu Can Tran away from reacquiring his own gun) – the latter then leaving in his white van – where he had another fire-arm stashed. It is said that he attended a hospital at one point – but could not get any treatment (such is the poor state of insurance-led health cover) – before a short stand-off with the Police and his final suicide!
THE SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 