The deputy, as well as two more deputies, pointed their guns at the SUV, ordered him to come out with his hands up, and tackled him to the ground. Crime 7 People Killed in Half Moon Bay in California's Second Mass Shooting This Week: 'Our Hearts Are Broken' Police arrested 67-year-old Zhao Chunli for the deaths of seven farm workers killed in Half Moon Bay, Calif. on Monday Seven months earlier, a manager at California Terra Garden who was not Zhao allegedly opened fire with a handgun at a coworker's trailer following a dispute and was later charged with attempted murder and criminal threats, as well as shooting into an occupied . It was Californias third mass shooting in eight days, and the largest in San Mateo County's history, Wagstaffe said. The shootings in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park followed the killing of a teenage mother, her baby and four others at a home in Californias Central Valley on Jan. 16. We thank law enforcement for their swift response and actions. Deputies who tackled Zhao immediately searched him for weapons and he appeared to be unarmed. Half Moon Bay Mayor Deborah Penrose also released a statement, saying in part: "My colleagues and I on the Half Moon Bay City Council are appalled and saddened at this terrible incident, which has completely shocked our community. Erlin Ortiz said Zhao, who grew onions for himself and his wife in a little garden plot, would wave and greet them but always seemed serious. I am assuming there is some vendetta.". Marcus White is a senior digital writer and producer for the San Francisco Examiner. "It will all go through my office, and we're going to do it very limitedly for the reason that we want to make sure that this man gets a fair trial. For certain, we thank the outpouring of thoughts and support from the community. Among those allegations are that Zhao used a gun, caused great bodily injury, killed multiple people, and had a prior felony conviction. Sheriff's officials have said it was workplace violence. Zhou, four of the victims, and the fifth person who was injured in the shooting at California Terra Garden all worked at the farm, according to a company spokesperson. "Cases like this, we've never had one in this county, of this many deaths at one time," Wagstaffe said, adding that the case "has a long road to travel.". Zhao is accused of fatally shooting seven people and wounding an eighth in what authorities have dubbed "an instance of workplace violence." On Monday, he unleashed a barrage of bullets at a. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group via AP, Pool)Shae Hammond. This story has been corrected to say six people, not eight people, were killed in Californias Central Valley on Jan. 16. The sheriffs office did a magnificent job investigating this case, Wagstaffe said. Family ID's worker killed in Half Moon Bay shootings. There was an error processing your request. The change in leadership took place on Monday. "One thing that I am happy about is that (the suspect) is alive, so hopefully we get to get some answers," says Prentice. She declined to say whether the victims were the killers intended targets. California Gov. One of our deputies located the vehicle there and recognized it. While the motives remain a mystery, the. Now more than ever it's important for the community to come together and be there for one another.". Deputies found four victims deceased with gunshot wounds. She now wants answers. San Mateo County officials said sheriff's deputies were dispatched at 2:22 p.m. Monday to the former Mountain Mushroom Farm, which was acquired by California Terra Garden last year, and found four people dead from gunshot wounds as well as a fifth person with life-threatening injuries. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The surviving victim was identified in charging documents as Pedro Romero Perez. A semi-automatic handgun was found in the suspect's car that had been legally purchased, authorities said. Zhao was arrested on Monday when the sheriff's office located his vehicle in the parking lot of the Sheriffs Office Half Moon Bay Police Substation, the department said. Zhao was arrested about two hours after the shooting as he sat in his parked car outside the sheriff's substation in Half Moon Bay. "They weren't happening as planned.". ABC7 News reporters J.R. Stone and Anser Hassan and Amanda del Castillo contributed to this report. The new year has brought six mass killings in the U.S. in fewer than three weeks, accounting for 39 deaths. The maximum penalty for these charges if convicted would be life in prison or the death penalty, according to Wagstaffe, who said he "plans to learn everything I can" about the suspect and the impact on the victims' families before deciding whether to pursue the death penalty. Authorities believe Zhao acted alone Monday when he entered a mushroom farm where he worked in Half Moon Bay, shot and killed four people, and seriously wounded a fifth. We believe the answer is no. over dismissal of officers, Two shot, one killed in East Oakland Wednesday, College, police co-sponsor catalytic converter etching, Father and son sentenced to 12 years for homicide, Antioch PD search for woman linked to armed robbery, Montgomery High student fatally stabbed in art class, Bay Bridge lights set to go dark in just days, Overturned big rig shuts down traffic on in San Mateo, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Wagstaffe said the case will move forward the right way, through the court of law, and not through the public eye. There were several journalists arriving in the parking lot at the time because it was designated by sheriff as a media staging area. Abc Affiliate Kgo/ABC News Affiliate KGO via Reuters, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The majority of farmworkers in the area are Latinos but the Mountain Mushroom Farm was one of the few that employed Asian workers, said Belinda Hernandez, executive director of ALAS, a farmworker advocacy group based in Half Moon Bay. Not just simply we're not sure. Zhao also allegedly shot three people at a trucking business on the 2100 block of Cabrillo Highway South. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. He never mentioned Zhao or said anything about problems with other workers. TheFarmworker Caravan, an organization that has been conducting a relief drive to provide support for farm workers impacted by recent flooding and the Half Moon Bay mass shooting, is asking for donations and volunteers to help with their efforts. They clarified conflicting information and detailed what investigators know so far about the accused gunman, 66-year-old Chunli Zhao, and how the mass shooting happened. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. A fifth person was transported to Stanford Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, who Corpus said Tuesday was in stable condition. Wang could not be immediately reached, the Chronicle reported. Please enter valid email address to continue. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- Seven people are dead and one is critically injured following shootings at two farms in Half Moon Bay this afternoon, a source confirmed to ABC7 News.. David Oates, a California Terra Garden spokesperson, said that he did not know how long Zhao worked there and that he was one of 35 employees who had stayed when ownership changed. In 2013, Zhao was accused of threatening to split a coworkers head open with a knife and separately tried to suffocate the man with a pillow, the Chronicle reported, based on court documents. Chunli Zhao, 66, was the lone suspect in Monday's shooting, which authorities described as " workplace violence ", in the town of Half Moon Bay near San Francisco. The charges against Zhao include additional allegations that could result in the death penalty or life in prison without parole, though Gov. We believe the answer is no..". Throughout the evening, families of victims arrived at the scene, attempted to piece together what answers they could. Zhao attempted to yell something to a nearby TV news cameraman but he was tackled facedown and placed in handcuffs. And Aaron Tung, part owner of Concord Farms, did not respond Wednesday to a request for additional comment. "This is a devastating tragedy for this community and the many families touched by this unspeakable act of violence," said San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus. There was a problem saving your notification. "The question was whether there is any evidence of a copycat of Monterey Park. He was laughing, he was smiling, Erlin Ortiz said. Stay informed with the newest Half Moon Bay Review headlines, breaking news, traffic alerts, and contest information weekly. ", An eighth person, identified in the court papers as Pedro Romero Perez, was also injured in the shootings, which authorities have described as a likely case of "workplace violence.". Chunli Zhao, 67, of Half Moon Bay, has been arrested in connection to the incidents. So it was the afternoon, kids were out of school and for children to witness, this is unspeakable," said Sheriff Christina Corpus. ", "All the evidence we have points to this being workplace violence," Corpus told reporters. Seven people were fatally shot at two nurseries in Half Moon Bay on Monday. He then drove to a nearby farm where he worked previously and killed three more people, said Eamonn Allen, a sheriffs spokesperson. You have permission to edit this article. Gavin Newsom has issued a moratorium on executions. REDWOOD CITY, Calif. The man accused of gunning down seven migrant farmworkers last month during a shooting spree at two mushroom farms in the coastal hamlet of Half Moon Bay pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a slew of murder charges. Motive sought for Monterey. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. His wails were so loud during that hearing that the judge called for a brief recess. Wagstaffe said his office is now diving into the suspect's past, including a 2013 civil case in which a coworker asked for a restraining order - accusing Zhao of trying to suffocate him with a pillow and threatening him with a knife. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Watch moment police arrest suspect in deadly Half Moon Bay shootings. He then drove to a nearby farm where he worked previously and killed three more people, said Eamonn Allen, a sheriff's spokesperson. 0. They emptied out the palace before they emptied out the White House. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the Chinese American community, from Half Moon Bay to Monterey Park. In addition to seven counts of murder, Zhao was charged with one count of attempted murder, firearm use enhancements and a count of special circumstance allegation of multiple murder, Wagstaffe said. Wagstaffe said the Half Moon Bay mass shooting was the largest in San Mateo County's history. HALF MOON BAY The shooting massacres at two coastal mushroom farms earlier this week were apparently fueled by the suspected gunman's mounting frustrations with his job conditions and. 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