Argument Escalates Into Gunfire at Club in El Monte; 4 Killed

After a brief argument early Thursday in a controversial El Monte nightclub, a man pulled out a pistol, shot his adversary in the head and continued firing at others seated in the same booth, killing a total of four people, authorities said.

The suspect, described as a muscular Asian man wearing a black shirt and jeans, fled after the attack at the International Club, leaving victims slumped over their table and sprawled on the floor, witnesses and investigators said.

“He shot the intended victim in the head and a couple times in the body, and continued firing to his right, shooting people who probably had nothing to do with [the argument],” said Sheriff’s Lt. Ray Peavy.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified only one of the victims: Lan Thi Dang, a 23-year-old woman from Long Beach. She was struck as her sister dived under the table to survive, authorities said.

Detectives said the other victims were a South El Monte man celebrating his 22nd birthday, a 20-year-old man from Garden Grove and a 28-year-old West Covina man who was the initial target of the attack. The suspect was not identified.

The International Club is a hangout for Chinese and Vietnamese gang members, according to Sheriff’s Department sources. They said the billiard club is frequented by both the V-Boyz gang and the Asian Boyz, a gang connected to a series of murders in 1995.

It was shut down for a time three years ago after two killings and several shootings in the parking lot, according to El Monte police.

There were at least 15 witnesses to Thursday’s incident and there may have been 100 people in the club when the shooting broke out at 1:45 a.m., Peavy said. However, he said, no one acknowledged recognizing the suspect.

“After the shooting went down, I’m told people just scattered,” Peavy said.

Investigators said they had not determined what provoked the killings, but said the first victim, who was a regular patron, had argued with the gunman moments before. It was still unclear whether the suspect or any of the victims were gang members.

Duc Nhiep Nguyen, 51, was washing dishes in the kitchen when he heard the gunfire.

“It was really loud: Bang! Bang! Bang!” he said. “I dove to the floor, I was so scared. When it got quiet, I heard the women start crying.”

Nguyen said he ran to the blood-spattered bar area, where he saw a woman he knew bleeding on a sofa. She was a customer who had always fondly called him “Papa.”

“Her boyfriend was holding her to his chest, crying really hard,” Nguyen said. “Her younger sister was there too, crying. I felt really bad for her.”

The gunman apparently caught his first victim off-guard, firing from within a foot of his head, Peavy said.

The second victim managed to get his arms up before he was hit, while the other two appeared to have been frozen in shock, Peavy said.

Investigators planned to look at a surveillance videotape that may have shown the crime, he said.

In 1996, the El Monte City Council required the club to post three security guards on evenings and weekends, when gang activity was most common.

“There’s supposed to be a metal detector, but they let people in other doors,” said one veteran Asian crimes officer with the Sheriff’s Department.

“The place is pretty much known for harboring gangsters. As near as I can figure, there are eight or nine shootings related to the club.”

The metal detector at the front door was unplugged and not working before Thursday’s shootings, officers said.

Earl Nguyen, a co-owner of the bar, said reports of violence at the club are exaggerated. He said there was only one killing there, and that happened “a long time ago.” He said he was unaware of gang members at the club.

“My customers are all different types of customers,” he said. “It’s very difficult to know who’s who.”

Some of the people who work in the business park and industrial area surrounding the club on Telstar Avenue said they have long feared the place was dangerous.

“I always knew something was going to happen there,” said one of them, Danny Garcia. “I was going to have lunch in this place once, but changed my mind.”

Times staff writer Tini Tran and correspondent Monty Morin contributed to this story.