California reels from string of mass shootings despite having some of the strictest gun laws in US

A Southern California community is in mourning after a gunman opened fire in a ballroom killing 11 people and injuring nine others during Lunar New Year celebrations over the weekend. 

Investigators said the gunman – later identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran – was previously arrested for illegally owning a firearm, had a rifle at home, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and appeared to be manufacturing gun silencers.

The massacre and another Monday night in Half Moon Bay have left many unanswered questions as to how it could happen in California, a state which Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reminded reporters is known for its strict gun laws.