Simu Liu “Saddened, Angered” By Shooting at Lunar New Year Celebration

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Simu Liu “Saddened, Angered” By Lunar New Year Shooting

Simu Liu is standing in solidarity with the victims of the mass shooting in Monterey Park. 

After a gunman opened fired on a Lunar New Year celebration Jan. 21—leaving 11 people dead and nine injured, per NBC Newsthe Shang-Chi star is sharing his devastation.

“This is what it feels like to be Asian American today: SWAT teams and red lanterns,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of two armed officers in front of a street decorated for Chinese New Year Jan. 23. “It’s what we all saw as we waited for details to unfurl surrounding the horrific shooting in Monterey Park.”

Simu went on to address the attacks on the Asian American community in recent months. 

“A shooting in the wake of the Lunar New Year? In the pits of our stomachs, we felt fear of the very real possibility that this could have been a hate crime committed against our community,” the 33-year-old continued. “Was that so far fetched? Asian Americans continue to be attacked on the streets, so much so that many local police departments have set up dedicated hate crime units.”

He added, “Seeing these images stirred up our worst fears and made us feel unsettled and unsafe.”

In a second picture, Simu showed a screenshot about the shooting and the suspect, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran.

“This is what it feels to be Asian in America today, during what should have been a joyous time,” he added. “We are confused, sad, and heartbroken for the families of everyone affected by this senseless act. Please have compassion for us as we sort through it all.”

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME

However, Simu isn’t the only celebrity to speak out, as Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Crystal Kung Minkoff took to Instagram to express her sadness.

“I had planned to share a Happy New Year message today, but instead woke up to the news from Monterey Park, my second home,” she wrote Jan. 22 with a photograph detailing a news reporting of the shooting. “A community of almost 70% Asian; it had always been considered a safe haven for my grandparents and thousands of Chinese immigrants looking for a place to belong. We are grieving, aching, and processing with you all.”

She concluded, “We are holding space for all who have been affected by this tragic loss of life, both near and far. When our community hurts, we all hurt.”

Daniel Dae Kim also reflected on the shooting. “On a traditional day of celebration, today it is also marked by tragedy,” he said on Instagram. “We often speak of the term ‘community.’ As important as it is to come together of times of celebration, perhaps it’s even more important to be there for each other in times of loss.” 

Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo told NBC News that the gunman may have been targeting his ex-wife at the dance hall. “My understanding is that he may have come because his ex-wife was reveling, celebrating the Lunar New Year,” he said, “and it sounded like there was a history of domestic violence, which is unfortunate.”

A vigil is planned for Tuesday, Jan. 24 in the city.

(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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