PHOTOS: Faces in the aftermath of Monterey Park mass shooting

Photo of a woman holding a candle next to a child — A boy holds a candle looking confused during a vigil outside Monterey Park City Hall late Monday, Jan. 23. His mom tries to make sense for him while struggling to hold her own tears. (Photo by Draco Guan)

After a Lunar New Year marred by a mass shooting, people in Monterey Park grapple with the aftermath of the tragedy. While the gunman’s motives remain a myth, the community begins the long process of healing.

Annenberg Media’s Draco Guan has been reporting from the field every day throughout the week, documenting the personal and collective trauma faced by the lives affected.

Through his lens we see faces of fear, sorrow and different stages of grief, as well as glimmers of hope and resilience amidst the darkness.

Faces in mourning

A photo of a boy holding a candle — (Photo by Draco Guan)

A photo of a woman holding flowers placing a candle down — A community member prays while holding flowers and candle honoring the victims killed at Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park at a candlelight vigil on Wednesday, Jan. 25. (Photo by Draco Guan)

A photo of a crowd holding candles — (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of people praying — (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of an older couple holding hands — (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a man crying with his arm over a woman — Friends and family hold hands and stand by a memorial outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio throughout the week in Monterey Park. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of an older man holding a candle — (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a man holding a candle with a hand over his mouth — People gather at a candlelight vigils throughout the week for victims of the mass shooting at a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a man with a mask kneeling over candles — (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of three older people holding candles — Following a mass shooting, unlike physical wounds, sorrow, fear and pain, and other invisible scars stay longer and deeper, with not only just victims and their families, but the community at large. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a young boy holding a candle — (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a woman wearing a blanket putting a candle down — (Photo by Draco Guan)

A photo of a woman praying — A prayer ritual performed in the form of physical movement to pay tribute to the victims in a vigil on Tuesday night. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Faces in pain

Photo of a man with a beanie and glasses — Niu feels guilty for surviving the mass-shooting. He said he was the closest person in the room when the gunman entered the studio. He couldn’t sleep well and keep having flashbacks to the gunfire, which to him, sounds just like firecrackers, a traditional symbol of fortune in Chinese New Year.

Photo of a woman in a mask — Wang cries at a memorial outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, where she danced with friends for nearly a decade, but was not present at the shooting. Wang would laugh when rewatching a video of her last dance with her dancing partner Mingwei Ma. “Look at my boy, how cute he is!” She’d proudly tell people around her, then before the video ends, she would burst into tears. She said Ma was the ballroom manager who died among a few other close friends of hers in the mass shooting on Saturday. Just like Niu, she too suffers from “survivor’s guilt.” She couldn’t forgive herself for absence. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a woman praying over candles — Fong works long hours in a family-owned donut shop. By participating in nightly vigils and sharing stories, she feels a bit better. Though, like Mr. Niu, Lunar New Year will never feel same again. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Faces bring hope

Photo of a crow of people holding up phones on the side of the street — Locals in Monterey Park rush out to the street after they learn that Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting their town and to pay respect to victims of Lunar New Year’s Eve shooting. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a woman holding a megaphone — Ann Law helped organize the Tuesday vigil, where she calls for the unity of the community and the importance of faith and social work in times of crisis. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a bald woman with a booklet and microphone — Faith groups have a huge rule in the Asian community. In times of crisis, many turn to faith groups for guidance and sanctuary. A Buddhist nun leads prayers in both Chinese and English during a vigil on Wednesday. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a police chief at a podium — Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna at a Sunday evening news conference where he identified the suspect as Huu Can Tran, a 72-year-old man whose body was found inside a cargo van in Torrance, California. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Man with glasses stands at a podium speaking — "Tragedy upon tragedy upon tragedy," said Henry Lo. Two shootings happened in the last three days of Henry Lo’s mayoral term, with the first being the deadly mass shooting blocks away from his office in Monterey Park. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a man with a microphone with police and officials behind him — Jose Sanchez didn’t shy away from becoming the new mayor at the most turbulent time in city’s history. He shares his plan on building community mental health services. Congresswoman and former Monterey Park mayor Judy Chu stood in solidarity with her hometown after the Jan. 21 mass shooting on Monday, Jan. 23 outside of the Langley Senior Center, where victims’s relatives and friends can seek for support. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a police officer at a podium with an interpreter beside him — Monterey Park Chief of Police Scott Wiese speaks to Annenberg Media at a press conference reassuring public safety in other events celebrating Lunar New Year outside Monterey Park City Hall on Sunday. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a man behind yellow tape — Joe Avalos heads the mayor’s Crisis Response Team, which sends volunteers to offer emotional support and resources to survivors of traumatic events. His team waits for the victims' family and friends to arrive at Langley Senior Center on Monday, Jan. 23. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a woman singing — Community and faith group leaders have been holding vigils throughout the week to create a safe space for people to mourn. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a woman singing with a hand in the air — Music can be a tool to heal scars and unite the soul. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a man with glasses and a lapel standing on a street — “The celebration must go on!” Chester Chong has been answering calls non-stop from concerned friends all over the world since the first day of Lunar New Year on Sunday morning. As the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Chair, Chong organize LA’s largest Lunar New Year events in Chinatown at Downtown LA on held on Jan. 28th. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of police officers leaning on a table in front of lanterns — Monterey Park’s celebration on Sunday is one of California’s largest Lunar New Year celebration that draws tens of thousands people. It got cancelled due to heightened safety concerns following the mass shooting. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of white event tents lining a street — Some local older residents blame the booths' color for causing the tragedy, as in some cultures, white is generally considered for the dead and will bring bad luck. A group of disappointed visitors say when emptied out, they looks like rows of police forensic tents. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Faces in rage and concern

Community calls for stricter laws on gun control.

Photo of people with signs saying "We wore red for luck, we bled red from guns" and "Protect our elders" — One of the traditions on Lunar New Year is the use of color red, symbolizing good fortune and happiness. The mass shooting on the eve of Lunar New Year redefined the traditional indication. “We wore red for luck, we bled red from guns” reads the sign held by an activist during a vigil outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio late Wednesday. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a man with a sign saying "The problem is guns!" — (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a woman with a candle yelling — Several activists broke the silence of the vigil on Monday evening. They called out the public for being distracted by the excuses made by local government and criticizing law enforcement for not addressing gun control enough. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of people with signs saying "Thoughts and Prayers isn't enough. Gun control now!," "Thoughts and prayers are not the answer" and "Guns are the problem tell your elected officials" — These scenes of agony and horror are increasingly all too familiar in America. In fact, 39 mass shootings have taken place across the country in just the first three weeks of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a man with a cap speaking to a microphone — A man speaks out on the violence targeting the AAPI community despite the suspect also being an Asian man. “Self-hatred is hate, too. You gotta take care of yourself and that’s how we all get along with each other.” (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of police officers walking out of a building — (Photo by Draco Guan)

U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, a 37-year Monterey Park resident, expresses frustration regarding the political divide in the United States Congress regarding gun-control. (Photo by Draco Guan)

Photo of a man standing in front of a camera with a phone — Lester Holt gives a monologue to close NBC’s Monday Primetime newscast in front of the Star Dance Studio. “Even when we finally come to learn the likely motive whether hate, vengeance or a disturbed mind, we are left where we started, empty, frustrated and sad. No explanation and can fill the void of loss and the helplessness these mass attacks burden us with, or give us hope that there won't be another one.” (Photo by Draco Guan)