Seven people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and a suspect was in custody, officials said.
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Dave Pine says four people were killed at the farm and three at the trucking business on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay, a city about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of San Francisco.
The police have arrested 67-year-old Chunli Zhao in connection with the shooting, Pine said.
Pine said the suspect worked for one of the businesses. He called the suspect a “disgruntled worker.”
Law enforcement personnel control the scene of a shooting Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Multiple people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and officials say a suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
The shooting was the nation’s sixth mass shooting this year — and followed the killing of 11 people late Saturday at a ballroom dance hall in Southern California.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office first received reports of a shooting just before 2:30 p.m. and found four people dead from gunshot wounds and a fifth injured person at the first scene. Shortly thereafter, officers found three more people dead from gunshot wounds at a second location about five miles (8 kilometers) away, Capt. Eamonn Allen said in a news release.
Law enforcement personnel control the scene of a shooting Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Multiple people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and officials say a suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
About two hours after first responding, a sheriff’s deputy found the suspect, Zhao, in his car at a sheriff’s station in Half Moon Bay. He was taken into custody and a weapon was found in his vehicle. The sheriff’s department believes he acted alone, Allen said.
The office did not share any information about the connection between the two locations.
The motive for the shooting is not known, Allen said.
A San Mateo County Sheriffs officer holds crime scene tape for a vehicle to pass by at a location near where multiple people were found shot to death on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (Carlos Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
“We’re still trying to understand exactly what happened and why, but it’s just incredibly, incredibly tragic,” said state Sen. Josh Becker, who represents the area and called it “a very close-knit” agricultural community.
Aerial television images showed police officers collecting evidence from a farm with dozens of greenhouses.
Half Moon Bay is a small coastal city with agricultural roots now home to about 12,000 people. The city and surrounding San Mateo County area is known for producing flowers as well as vegetables like brussell sprouts. The county allows cannabis farming in certain areas.
It’s a majority white community and about 5% of the population is Asian, according to Census data.
“We are sickened by today’s tragedy in Half Moon Bay,” Pine said. “We have not even had time to grieve for those lost in the terrible shooting in Monterey Park. Gun violence must stop.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that he was “at the hospital meeting with victims of a mass shooting when I get pulled away to be briefed about another shooting. This time in Half Moon Bay. Tragedy upon tragedy.”
Law enforcement personnel control the scene of a shooting Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Multiple people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and officials say a suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Law enforcement personnel control the scene of a shooting Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Multiple people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and officials say a suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Law enforcement personnel control the scene of a shooting Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Multiple people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and officials say a suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Police tape is placed near the scene of a shooting Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Seven people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and officials say a suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Police tape is placed near the scene of a shooting Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Seven people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and officials say a suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Police tape is placed near the scene of a shooting Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Seven people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and officials say a suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Police tape is placed near the scene of a shooting Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Multiple people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and officials say a suspect is in custody. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)San Mateo County Sheriffs officers and EMS personnel gather along a road at a location near where multiple people were found shot to death on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (Carlos Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)Police investigate the scene of a mass shooting off Cabrillo Highway in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group via AP)Law enforcement, including the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, investigate a shooting off state Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group via AP)First responders work one of several crime scenes where multiple people were shot and killed, Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, off state Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay, Calif., according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group via AP)
Interesting that after the Monterey Park massacre we didn’t hear from the usual left-wing democrat suspects, lectures on the evilness of legal guns. Oh, right……..the shooter was a minority. It didn’t fit the Biden/Wray narrative. Sanctimonious lectures are only given when it’s whitey who does the shooting. I guess we won’t hear any speeches on this one either. Chunli Zhao doesn’t sound like your typical WHITE Trump supporting maga supremacist. Beto O’Rourke and Elizabeth Warren will have to remain silent.
Very sad story, but grammar is also important – especially for professional journalists:
Spelling should be: Brussels sprouts – they are named after the city of Brussels. The modern version of the plant was originally grown primarily in the area of Northern Europe now known as Belgium, of which Brussels is the capital.
We are so lucky to b”h live in a country where everyone can carry a gun. The only problem we have, and the source of all these tragedies, is that more good guys don’t have guns. If only all of the good guys had guns then all of these shootings would not have happened. B”H. Like in that school a few weeks ago, the teacher of course should have been given a gun. The government should seriously consider giving all good people guns.
Safety is an illusion. End of life is b’yad Hashem.
People might think it’s very sad that so many people die each year because of these senseless shootings. But imagine how horrible life would be if it would be very difficult to get a gun and high-capacity magazines. In Israel, for example, most people can’t just buy a gun and life is very hard there. R’ Chaim used to say all the time that he would get a gun if he could but that the medina, the reshaim arurim wouldn’t let even him.
Time for Draconian Singapore laws:- Nothing short of Singapore Laws:- This has to stop immediately.
So many mass shootings {& even shooting of 1 person & even if injured but survives} infinitely more inhumane than implantation of Singapore Criminal laws & penalties.
FBI needs to focus their limited resources on curbing all shootings in America, even if this means totally unavailable to go after classified documents or after taxes of former presidents.
The comments above make me mad.
We need to BAN GUNS completely, take away from everyone. Make it illegal to carry a gun!!!
the U.S. is a degenerate society
gun control or no gun control, in such a narcissistically libertarian society and culture either way you’ll have problems…
nisi and M, why don’t we ban you? Throw you in jail or hang you? After all, you don’t think people are entitled to their fundamental rights, so why should we respect your rights not to be kidnapped or killed?
This is exactly why good people need to be armed — to defend themselves from totalitarians like you.
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Interesting that after the Monterey Park massacre we didn’t hear from the usual left-wing democrat suspects, lectures on the evilness of legal guns. Oh, right……..the shooter was a minority. It didn’t fit the Biden/Wray narrative. Sanctimonious lectures are only given when it’s whitey who does the shooting. I guess we won’t hear any speeches on this one either. Chunli Zhao doesn’t sound like your typical WHITE Trump supporting maga supremacist. Beto O’Rourke and Elizabeth Warren will have to remain silent.
Very sad story, but grammar is also important – especially for professional journalists:
Spelling should be: Brussels sprouts – they are named after the city of Brussels. The modern version of the plant was originally grown primarily in the area of Northern Europe now known as Belgium, of which Brussels is the capital.
We are so lucky to b”h live in a country where everyone can carry a gun. The only problem we have, and the source of all these tragedies, is that more good guys don’t have guns. If only all of the good guys had guns then all of these shootings would not have happened. B”H. Like in that school a few weeks ago, the teacher of course should have been given a gun. The government should seriously consider giving all good people guns.
Safety is an illusion. End of life is b’yad Hashem.
People might think it’s very sad that so many people die each year because of these senseless shootings. But imagine how horrible life would be if it would be very difficult to get a gun and high-capacity magazines. In Israel, for example, most people can’t just buy a gun and life is very hard there. R’ Chaim used to say all the time that he would get a gun if he could but that the medina, the reshaim arurim wouldn’t let even him.
Time for Draconian Singapore laws:- Nothing short of Singapore Laws:- This has to stop immediately.
So many mass shootings {& even shooting of 1 person & even if injured but survives} infinitely more inhumane than implantation of Singapore Criminal laws & penalties.
FBI needs to focus their limited resources on curbing all shootings in America, even if this means totally unavailable to go after classified documents or after taxes of former presidents.
The comments above make me mad.
We need to BAN GUNS completely, take away from everyone. Make it illegal to carry a gun!!!
the U.S. is a degenerate society
gun control or no gun control, in such a narcissistically libertarian society and culture either way you’ll have problems…
nisi and M, why don’t we ban you? Throw you in jail or hang you? After all, you don’t think people are entitled to their fundamental rights, so why should we respect your rights not to be kidnapped or killed?
This is exactly why good people need to be armed — to defend themselves from totalitarians like you.