Officials say Half Moon Bay mass shooting that killed 7 believed to be workplace violence - KGO-TV

1 year ago 58

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- Officials Tuesday greeting said that the mass shooting astatine 2 mushroom farms successful Half Moon Bay that killed 7 people, and injured 1 was apt workplace violence.

The San Mateo County Sheriff on with the District Attorney held a quality league wherever they said that it inactive is unclear what specifically led to the shooting.

They are inactive moving to place victims, but accidental that determination are 7 men and 1 pistillate and each are of Asian and Hispanic descent.

The coroner is notifying family, which has been hard due to the fact that immoderate of the victims are migrants.

Chunli Zhao, 67, of Half Moon Bay, was arrested successful transportation to the incidents and taken into custody Monday.

Zhao worked astatine 1 of the mushroom farms and investigators belive it was workplace violence. However, it is inactive unclear what Zhao's transportation to the victims was beyond being co-workers.

San Mateo Co Sheriff Christina Corpus says that helium was utilizing a semi automatic weapon that was legally bought and owned.

Zhao is scheduled to marque his archetypal quality successful tribunal tomorrow, but charges person not formally been announced.

He was not known to constabulary earlier the shooting.

The District Attorney says that this is the largest fig of victims successful a wide shooting that San Mateo region has ever had.

The shootings were reported astatine Mountain Mushroom Farm connected San Mateo Road adjacent Highway 1 and Concord Farms disconnected Cabrillo Hwy S. First responders archetypal received a telephone astir an progressive shooter astatine astir 2:20 p.m.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Watch infinitesimal constabulary apprehension fishy successful deadly Half Moon Bay shootings

Authorities responded to the 12700 artifact of San Mateo Road astatine the Mountain Mushroom Farm, adjacent to Rice Trucking-Soil Farm disconnected of Hwy. 1. Deputies recovered 4 victims deceased with gunshot wounds. A 5th victim, besides suffering from gunshot wounds, was transported to Stanford Medical Center with beingness threatening injuries.

Then soon aft astatine the Concord Farms connected the 2100 artifact of Cabrillo Highway South - little than 3 miles distant from the Mountain Mushroom Farm - 3 further victims were located, besides deceased with gunshot wounds.

The fishy has been taken into custody, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

Chunli Zhao, 67, of Half Moon Bay, has been arrested successful transportation to the incidents.

VIDEO: Woman who witnessed HMB shooting suspect's apprehension shares details

The sheriff's bureau says a limb was located successful Zhao's vehicle. He is believed to person acted unsocial and determination is nary further menace to the community, they added.

"This is simply a devastating calamity for this assemblage and the galore families touched by this unspeakable enactment of violence," said San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus.

A root tells ABC7 News the fishy worked astatine 1 of the mushroom farms, and each the victims were coworkers.

MORE: There person been much wide shootings successful US than days successful 2023, database shows

Throughout the evening, families of victims arrived astatine the scene, attempted to portion unneurotic what answers they could.

"...not acrophobic astir thing else, conscionable hoping to spot him travel out, due to the fact that I truly don't privation to..." said Carlos Martinez-Maya.

Carlos Martinez-Maya spoke with america astatine astir 5 p.m. Monday, astir his uncle who was moving astatine the mushroom workplace on Cabrillo Highway.

Then astatine 7 p.m., helium told america workers from the workplace confirmed to the household that his uncle was 1 of the radical changeable and killed astatine this scene.

Martinez-Maya is identifying his uncle arsenic a antheral named Marciano Martinez-Jimenez, who astatine enactment was known arsenic "Martin." Understandably, the household has asked for immoderate clip portion they process each that has happened.

Family ID's idiosyncratic killed successful Half Moon Bay shootings

Locals archer america Mountain Mushroom Farm is known to beryllium a marijuana increasing farm.

Sadly, officials accidental the shootings impacted children too.

"This is simply a horrific event, 1 that we would ne'er ideate would hap successful San Mateo County," said David Pine who is Board of Supervisors President.

"There were farmworkers affected tonight. There were children connected the country astatine the incident. This is simply a genuinely heartbreaking calamity successful our community," said Supervisor Ray Mueller.

As to however galore children witnessed this and what they saw:

"It's a large agrarian determination truthful radical are working, it's dispersed out, there's radical that unrecorded astatine the determination arsenic well. So it was the afternoon, kids were retired of schoolhouse and for children to witness, this is unspeakable," said Sheriff Christina Corpus.

Authorities springiness update connected Half Moon Bay shooting that killed 7, injured 1

Kate Shea and Lizette Diaz are Half Moon Bay residents and some person been volunteering successful the metropolis to assistance those impacted by the monolithic flooding from January's torrential rain.

Then came the Monday's wide shooting successful their city.

"I walked into my boss' bureau astatine 4 p.m. and I said, 'There are 4 radical dormant successful my town, I person to go,'" says Shea. "The workplace workers connected the seashore person a unsmooth beingness arsenic it is, and this is conscionable terrible."

Both Diaz and Shea person been assisting families astatine a assemblage structure acceptable up astatine Portuguese Hall successful Half Moon Bay.

A batch of ranch workers and their families person been displaced since the farms wherever they enactment are present transgression scenes. Some were already staying successful hotels due to the fact that their homes were damaged successful the storm.

"There is simply a batch of sadness, determination is grief," says Diaz. "It affects maine due to the fact that I person 4 boys, and I cannot ideate what those kids witnesser today."

Volunteers assistance families displaced by HMB shootings

Alejandro Lopez knew 1 of the victims - a antheral helium called a brother, a person helium has known for 30 years. Lopez brought his household to the structure to conscionable the victim's family.

John Williams and his woman dropped disconnected blankets. He says the assemblage inactive hasn't recovered from the aftermath of the rainfall and flooding. "What next, you know? Everything is getting thrown astatine us," helium says.

Williams says helium does, however, consciousness much harmless knowing that fishy was arrested.

"Totally shocking you perceive astir this connected the quality each the time. But erstwhile you perceive astir it, erstwhile it comes location to you like, successful a tiny municipality similar this, it truly does bring it home. It is conscionable deplorable," says Williams.

"We saw each the sirens going 1 mode and past each the sirens going the different way. Something is going on, but we don't cognize wherever it is. And that was terrifying," explains Sarah Prentice.

ABC7's Dustin Dorsey astatine Stanford Hospital wherever 3 are injured successful Half Moon Bay Shooting

She is different section nonmigratory who came to the structure to assistance retired the families. She is besides blessed the fishy was arrested. She present wants answers.

"One happening that I americium blessed astir is that (the suspect) is alive, truthful hopefully we get to get immoderate answers," says Prentice. "I don't cognize however unfastened this idiosyncratic is to talking and explicate the 'why.' I americium assuming determination is immoderate vendetta."

The volunteers says galore of these families could beryllium present for the adjacent fewer days.

The section radical ALAS is aiding with donations.

The FBI of San Francisco is assisting the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office by providing investigative and forensic resources. They accidental the Sheriff's Office is the pb investigative bureau astatine this time.

ABC7 was told the Holy Family Children's Center went connected lockdown astir 3:20 p.m.

A household reunification halfway has been acceptable up astatine the IDES Hall connected 735 Main Street.

Aaron Tung, the Concord Farms' principal, released the pursuing statement:

With the small accusation that is disposable to america astatine the moment, our comments are limited. For certain, we convey the outpouring of thoughts and enactment from the community. We convey instrumentality enforcement for their swift effect and actions. Concord Farms is simply a household owned and operated mushroom workplace astatine this determination for 37 years. With nary past cognition with this gunman oregon his motives, we are shook and precise anxious to summation much accusation from the authorities and their investigations. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the Chinese American community, from Half Moon Bay to Monterey Park.

Half Moon Bay Mayor Deborah Penrose besides released a statement, saying successful part:

"My colleagues and I connected the Half Moon Bay City Council are appalled and saddened astatine this unspeakable incident, which has wholly shocked our community. Our deepest sympathies are with the families and individuals who person been devastated by this horrendous act. We stock successful their symptom and cognize that our assemblage members are besides keeping the victims and their families successful their hearts. Now much than ever it's important for the assemblage to travel unneurotic and beryllium determination for 1 another."

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo released the pursuing connection aft the shootings successful her legislature territory successful Half Moon Bay:

"I proceed to show the unfolding calamity that has taken spot successful Half Moon Bay. My gratitude to the San Mateo Sheriff's Office who took the fishy into custody and are moving the 2 scenes of the murders. "Half Moon Bay is simply a beloved and tight-knit community, and we each basal with them and the families of the victims during this acheronian hour."

President Biden released a connection connected the shooting, happening conscionable 1 time aft the deadly wide shooting astatine Monterey Park successful Southern California, saying successful part:

"Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured successful the latest tragic shooting successful Half Moon Bay, California. For the 2nd clip successful caller days, California communities are mourning the nonaccomplishment of loved ones successful a senseless enactment of weapon violence. Following a briefing from my homeland information team, I person directed my medication to guarantee section authorities and the broader Half Moon Bay assemblage person the afloat enactment of the national authorities successful the aftermath of this heinous attack."

Gov. Gavin Newsom besides responded to the incidents, echoing sentiments connected the 2 California shootings.

"At the infirmary gathering with victims of a wide shooting erstwhile I get pulled distant to beryllium briefed astir different shooting. This clip successful Half Moon Bay. Tragedy upon tragedy," Newsom tweeted.

Anyone with accusation astir this incidental is encouraged to interaction Detective Deschler astatine 1-800-547-2700.

ABC7 News reporters J.R. Stone and Anser Hassan and Amanda del Castillo contributed to this report.

Get the latest connected the deadly Half Moon Bay shootings here.