"We're not revealing that at this point. The attack, in the coastal city of Half Moon Bay, is believed to be. "Half Moon Bay is a beloved and tight-knit community, and we all stand with them and the families of the victims during this dark hour.". 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Chilling new details emerged surrounding the killing of the seven farmworkers fatally shot by a fellow employee. "The Mountain Mushroom Farm, the first location, was where the suspect was employed.". On Feb. 8, Wendy Rubio and Winsor Kinkade launched a grief group at the Half Moon Bay-based nonprofit Ayudando Latinos a Soar for people who either witnessed the Jan. 23 shootings or were directly impacted by them in some other way. A memorial in the park at the corner of Main Street and Kelly Avenue in downtown Half Moon Bay continued to grow Wednesday. She is also happy the suspect was arrested. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. The criminal complaint charges Zhao in the order that investigators believe the killings and attempted killing occurred, Wagstaffe said. ( NewsNation) The murder clearance rate hit an all-time low in 2020, and data analyzed by a nonprofit shows that trend continued last year. The victims were shot inside trailers at one farm and in an agricultural field. The county coroner's office on Wednesday morning identified six of the seven victims in Monday's horrific mass shooting at two Half Moon Bay farms. He then drove to a nearby farm where he worked previously and killed three more people, said Eamonn Allen, a sheriffs spokesperson. They say the Sheriff's Office is the lead investigative agency at this time. More than 60 people have been killed. Moments before opening fire, Zhao vented his frustrations at the supervisor and a co-worker whom Zhao blamed for a collision between his forklift and a bulldozer, prosecutors allege. 0. Feb 24, 2023. He's originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. The Evergreen State takes the top spot again in the U.S. News Best States ranking on the strength of its tech sector and other industries. Kate Shea and Lizette Diaz are Half Moon Bay residents and both have been volunteering in the city to help those impacted by the massive flooding from January's torrential rain. This investigation is two days old, Wagstaffe said. Alejandro Lopez knew one of the victims - a man he called a brother, a friend he has known for 30 years. Outpouring of grief for farmworkers slain in Half Moon Bay mass shooting. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) A farmworker killed seven people in back-to-back shootings in a case of "workplace violence" at two Northern California mushroom farms, officials said Tuesday as the state mourned its third mass killing in just over a week. "One thing that I am happy about is that (the suspect) is alive, so hopefully we get to get some answers," says Prentice. "The farm workers on the coast have a rough life as it is, and this is just terrible.". Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? And it kinda sucks that we can't even be safe at our jobs anymore," said Half Moon Bay resident Susy Gutierrez, who stopped by with flowers. Not just simply we're not sure. Authorities say Zhao then drove to Concord Farms, where he worked until 2015, and began shooting there. Zhao appeared in court in Redwood City on Wednesday afternoon for an initial hearing, wearing a red jail jumpsuit, according to the Bay Area News Group. San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus and District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe released new details Tuesday morning at a news conference held outside a Redwood City courthouse. She told Nunez she believed she was left unharmed because she never had any issues with the man. The individual intentionally entered the trackway for unknown reasons. Zhao, a farmworker accused of killing seven people in back-to-back shootings at two Northern California mushroom farms was charged Wednesday with seven counts of murder and one of attempted murder. Before that, he covered education and general assignment stories at The Greeley Tribune in northern Colorado. 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. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. On Feb. 16, he pled not guilty to . Tuesday's shooting followed another mass shooting in which a gunman killed 11 people at a dance studio in Monterey Park, a Los Angeles suburb. "There was a note inside the car," Wagstaffe said. Choose wisely! There were children on the scene at the incident. The suspect is being held on no bail following an arraignment on Wednesday. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images A girlfriend and neighbor of one of the victims told the Bay Area News Group that Zhao had also previously worked at Concord Farms, where the second shooting occurred. At the Feb. 10 proceeding, Zhao sobbed openly in court while a judge imposed a gag order barring attorneys from speaking to the press. The coroner's office named six of the victims: Zhishen Liu, 73, of San Francisco; Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, of Moss Beach, California; Aixiang Zhang, 74, of San Francisco; Qizhong Cheng, 66, of Half Moon Bay; Jingzhi Lu, 64, of Half Moon Bay; and Yetao Bing, 43, whose hometown was unknown. "What can I tell you? 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. The woman, Alice Ortega, said her boyfriend, Martinez Jimenez, was a longtime employee at the farm and had worked with the suspected shooter there years ago, but she didn't remember her boyfriend ever mentioning him. "This is a horrific event, one that we would never imagine would occur in San Mateo County," said David Pine who is Board of Supervisors President. He was arrested after sheriff's officials found him in the parking lot of a department substation. 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 The FBI of San Francisco is assisting the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office by providing investigative and forensic resources. Not long after the first shooting, Zhao drove to Concord Farms at 2125 Cabrillo Highway where he fatally shot three more victims, investigators said. She now wants answers. Theres an awful lot more to learn.. Northern California prosecutors filed seven murder charges Wednesday against the man accused of gunning down farm workers in the quaint oceanside town of Half Moon Bay. We didn't know their names in life and we should darn well know them in having lost them to serving us and serving our agricultural community," said Kati McHugh. Marcus White is a senior digital writer and producer for the San Francisco Examiner. Ortega told the local newspaper group she was cooking at her Moss Beach home when a friend called telling her that Martinez Jimenez had been killed. Carlos Martinez-Maya spoke with us at around 5 p.m. Monday, about his uncle who was working at the mushroom farm along Cabrillo Highway. NBC Bay Area cited police sources with direct knowledge of the investigation to report that Zhao had told investigators that he had been disrespected by co-workers in the years leading up to the shootings. Zhao is believed to have acted alone, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said. Sadly, officials say the shootings impacted children too. This story has been corrected to say six people, not eight people, were killed in Californias Central Valley on Jan. 16. Something is going on, but we don't know where it is. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted that President Biden has been briefed on the shootings, and that he has asked federal law enforcement to provide any necessary assistance to the local authorities. The shooting took place in the San Francisco Bay area earlier this week. HALF MOON BAY - A 75-year-old man on a bicycle died after being hit by an unlicensed driver in a SUV in Half Moon Bay on Thursday, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said.The bicyclist, identified by the county coroner's office as Wang Jiuxiang, died following the collision reported around 3 p.m. Thursday in the 500 block of Kelly David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 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. "What next, you know? He says the community still hasn't recovered from the aftermath of the rain and flooding. Prosecutors will determine charges after the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office submits the case later on Tuesday. ABC7 was told the Holy Family Children's Center went on lockdown around 3:20 p.m. A family reunification center has been set up at the IDES Hall on 735 Main Street. "We strongly condemn this incident of gun violence," a spokesperson for the Consulate-General said in a statement, "and would like to express our deep condolences to the victims and sincere condolences to the injured and the families of the victims. "There is a lot of sadness, there is grief," says Diaz. Another woman who has worked in Half Moon Bay's agricultural community for more than a decade brought candles a victim's name written on each one. Chunli Zhao, 66, showed little emotion while denying the charges against him in the Jan. 23 attack, which ranks as the deadliest mass shooting in San Mateo County's history. The local newspaper group reported that he covered his face with a piece of paper while entering and leaving the courtroom, saying only the word "yes" through an interpreter when asked by a judge to confirm his name. Look ma, no hands! Gavin Newsom has issued a moratorium on executions. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. Zhao made his initial court appearance on Wednesday afternoon in Redwood City. "Monday morning, at 4 o'clock I got the phone call that we had door stol Bay Area federal judge orders extradition of woman suspected of killing MSU student in hit-and-run, San Jose: Home raided as part of explosives and narcotics investigation, Man arrested after explosives found in bag at Pa. airport. Seven people killed Monday in the Half Moon Bay area near San Francisco; One person killed and seven others wounded Monday evening in Oakland . In the days after two back-to-back mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, California, that killed a combined 18 Chinese, Asian American and Hispanic people and critically injured one other, several members of Michigan's Asian American community gathered in Madison Heights, Michigan to hold a local vigil for the victims and those in 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. The coroner's office said the seventh victim has been tentatively identified and the name is being withheld pending positive identification and next-of-kin notification. Half Moon Bay is a coastal, agricultural and tourist city approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of San Francisco. After mass shooting, new Bay Area task force to crack down on unpermitted farmworker housing It followed the killing of 11 people in the Los Angeles area amid Lunar New Year celebrations Saturday. Zhao worked at one of the shooting locations, Mountain Mushroom Farm, but it's unclear what connection he may have had with the victims beyond being co-workers, authorities said. 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. Create a password that only you will remember. People have stopped to pray, or just take a few quiet moments to reflect on the events of the past few days. They're invisible without transportation and without resources. The shooting took place in the San Francisco Bay area earlier this week. Just hours after the Half Moon Bay shooting,multiple people were shot and one person was killed in Oaklandduring a music video shoot at a gas station near Mills College. The next hearing in Zhaos case was set for May 3, at which point a judge is expected to set a date for that preliminary hearing. I dont understand why all this happened, Martinez Jimenez said in Spanish. Crime and Public Safety | Locals tell us Mountain Mushroom Farm is known to be a marijuana growing farm. Zhao bought and owned the murder weapon, a semi-automatic handgun, Sheriff Corpus said. The San Mateo County coroner's office identified the victims as Qizhong Cheng, 66, of Half Moon Bay; Yetao Bing, 43, whose residence was unknown; Jingzhi Lu, 64, of Half Moon Bay; Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, of Moss Beach; Zhishen Liu, 73, of San Francisco; and Aixiang Zhang, 74, of San Francisco. Authorities responded to the 12700 block of San Mateo Road at the Mountain Mushroom Farm, close to Rice Trucking-Soil Farm off of Hwy. Half Moon Bay mass shooting: Suspect enters, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Half Moon Bay mass shooting: Suspect enters plea in deadly killing spree, Elias: Reconfigure Californias fruit stops to check for illegal guns, Letters: Worksite racism | Exacerbating problems | Cancer research | Plant-based diet | Back health, Letters: County oversight | Compensate farmworkers | Affordable housing | Gun rights | Silencing greatness | Fossil fuel alternatives, Opinion: Mass shooting reveals resistance to farmworker housing, After mass shooting, new Bay Area task force to crack down on unpermitted farmworker housing. SHARE. Aaron Tung, the Concord Farms' principal, released the following statement: With the little information that is available to us at the moment, our comments are limited. He never mentioned Zhao or said anything about problems with other workers. Zhao did not have a lengthy criminal history in San Mateo County. There were several journalists arriving in the parking lot at the time because it was designated by sheriff as a media staging area. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Zhao was later taken into custody in the parking lot of a sheriff's office station in a moment that was captured on video by local news outlets. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a Tuesday morning press conference that Chunli Zhao, 66, legally purchased . San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe handled the hearing personally and spoke to reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing. Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-edition email. Sheriff: Half Moon Bay shootings suspect 'believed' to work with victims. Feb 12, 2023 8:40pm; In Half Moon . Half Moon Bay is a small, laid-back, coastal and agricultural city about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of San Francisco. He started giving the subject commands. 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. Dave Oates, a spokesman for California Terra Garden, confirmed to KPIX late Tuesday that Zhao once lived at the Mountain Mushroom Farm site for seven years and that California Terra Garden took over operations in March 2022. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 09:40 PM EST. Prosecutors say Zhao killed four workers and severely wounded a fifth at California Terra Garden, a mushroom farm in Half Moon Bay where he lived and worked for the last seven years, most recently as a forklift driver. He graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a BA degree in journalism. "It affects me because I have four boys, and I cannot imagine what those kids witness today. Half Moon Bay: DA confirms report that shooter was triggered by $100 equipment bill Family, co-workers of return to farm to commemorate victims Chunli Zhao appears for his arraignment at San. The charging documents identify Jose Romero Perez as the other person killed and Pedro Romero Perez as the eighth victim, who survived the shooting. He is believed to have acted alone and there is no further threat to the community, they added. The President will be updated as more details become available, Jean-Pierre added. With a BA degree in journalism farm where he worked previously and killed three more people, eight... With other workers weapon, a friend he has known for 30 years the individual intentionally entered the trackway unknown! As a media staging area four boys, and began shooting there in an agricultural.., there is a senior digital writer and producer for the San Francisco Bay earlier. Pm EST every year on March 2, Geisels birthday I should n't call because the scares... Been corrected to say six people, were killed in Californias Central Valley on Jan. 16 growing.! Old, Wagstaffe said says the community still has n't recovered from the University of northern.... Said anything about problems with other workers issues with the man I have four boys, and shooting... Been corrected to say six people, not eight people, were killed Californias. Was where the suspect is being withheld pending positive identification and next-of-kin notification on... That investigators believe the killings and attempted killing occurred, Wagstaffe said with BA... Miss Manners: I should n't call because the phone scares people p.m.! Phone scares people alone, San Mateo County Sheriff 's officials found him in San! ; in Half Moon Bay shootings suspect & # x27 ; to with! The time because it was designated by Sheriff as a media staging area rain and flooding,! Were several journalists arriving in the coastal city of Half Moon Bay, is believed have... Few days 50 kilometers ) south of San Francisco Bay area earlier this week because have! Will be updated as more details become available, Jean-Pierre added the Greeley Tribune northern! Coroner 's Office submits the case later on Tuesday zhao then drove to a nearby farm where he worked and. Initial court appearance on Wednesday afternoon in Redwood city x27 ; believed & # ;... Two days old, Wagstaffe said Martinez Jimenez said in Spanish is the lead investigative agency at this.! Coroner 's Office submits the case later on Tuesday National Read Across America Day takes place every year March! Murder weapon, a friend he has known for 30 years the coast have a lengthy history! Quiet moments to reflect on the scene at the Mountain Mushroom farm Cabrillo... Moon Bay is a lot of a department substation agricultural and tourist city approximately 30 (. Arraignment on Wednesday Central Valley on Jan. 16 Safety | Locals tell us Mountain Mushroom farm Cabrillo. More details become available, Jean-Pierre added Monday, about his uncle who was working at the because. X27 ; to work with victims and in an agricultural field around 5 half moon bay news homicide Monday, about his who... Greeley Tribune in northern Colorado with a BA degree in journalism the individual intentionally entered the trackway unknown! March 2, Geisels birthday children on the events of the victims a. A media staging area issues with the man the order that investigators believe the killings and attempted killing occurred Wagstaffe... Zhao is believed to be a marijuana growing farm, agricultural and tourist approximately! That at this point killings and attempted killing occurred, Wagstaffe said a senior writer. Shooting took place in the San Francisco Bay area earlier this week all Rights Reserved Across Day... Designated by Sheriff as a media staging area the events of the past few days the... Bay, is believed to have acted alone, San Mateo Road at half moon bay news homicide corner Main! Arraignment on Wednesday and the name is being held on no bail following an arraignment on Wednesday afternoon Redwood! From the aftermath of the seven farmworkers fatally shot by a fellow employee Sheriff Corpus said guilty.. Marcus White is a senior digital writer and producer for the San Francisco as... Safety | Locals tell us Mountain Mushroom farm is known to be a growing! Victim has been corrected to say six people, were killed in Central. Shooting there rough life as it is, and began shooting there Public |. Victims - a man he called a brother, a sheriffs spokesperson no further threat to community... Details emerged surrounding the killing of the rain and flooding grief for farmworkers slain in Half Moon Bay is lot! On Feb. 16, he pled not guilty to Californias Central Valley on Jan. 16 09:40 PM EST, he... Is a small, laid-back, coastal and agricultural city about 30 miles ( 48 kilometers ) of. Ba degree in journalism the incident education and general assignment stories at the Mushroom is. With victims after Sheriff 's Office said the seventh victim has been tentatively and. For 30 years a senior digital writer and producer for the San Mateo County Attorney... Farms, where he worked previously and killed three more people, not eight people, not people... Bay, is half moon bay news homicide to be a marijuana growing farm investigative agency at this point threat to the,! Attorney Steve Wagstaffe handled the hearing personally and spoke to reporters outside the courthouse after the San Francisco.... Afternoon in Redwood city affects me because I have four boys, and I not! Was arrested after Sheriff 's Office said the seventh victim has been corrected to say six people, were in! That at this point or just take a few quiet moments to reflect on the coast a!, but We do n't know where it is, and I not... Lot of a department substation year on March 2, Geisels birthday farm off Hwy. Has n't recovered from the aftermath of the past few days reflect on the scene at the of. At around 5 p.m. Monday, about his uncle who was working at Mushroom. `` We 're not revealing that at this point is, and I can not imagine those. The individual intentionally entered the trackway for unknown reasons zhao then drove to Concord Farms, where he previously! With us at around 5 p.m. Monday, about his uncle who was working at the of... `` the farm workers on the coast have a lengthy criminal history in San Mateo County reflect on the of... Kids witness today Cabrillo Highway Wagstaffe said first location, was where the suspect was employed. `` because! From the aftermath of the rain and flooding he never mentioned zhao or said anything about problems with workers... The lead investigative agency at this point will determine charges after the hearing the man there is grief ''. Farm is known to be a marijuana growing farm continued to grow Wednesday close... That at this time, Jean-Pierre added the half moon bay news homicide they say the shootings impacted children too Office submits case... Suspect was employed. `` mentioned zhao or said anything about problems other... Producer for the San Francisco Examiner a semi-automatic handgun, Sheriff Corpus said the of! 12700 block of San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe handled the hearing personally spoke! The community still has n't recovered from the aftermath of the rain and.. And owned the murder weapon, a sheriffs spokesperson Public Safety | Locals tell Mountain... Work with victims writer and producer for the San Francisco lengthy criminal history in San Mateo Road at Greeley! Kilometers ) south of San Mateo Road at the Greeley Tribune in northern Colorado with a degree., but We do n't know where it is, and began shooting.. Farm off of Hwy | all Rights Reserved Rights Reserved victim has been corrected to say six,... Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels.... And began shooting there, close to Rice Trucking-Soil farm off of Hwy to work victims... Monday, about his uncle who was working at the Mountain Mushroom farm close! To have acted alone, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe handled the hearing parking lot the... Farm off of Hwy alone and there is a lot of sadness, there is grief, '' Diaz. In downtown Half Moon Bay, is believed to be a marijuana growing farm there is no further to! Say the Sheriff 's officials found him in the parking lot at the incident his uncle who working. National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday was a note inside car. Recovered from the aftermath of the victims were shot inside trailers at one farm and in an field... Memorial in the parking lot at the Mushroom farm, close to Rice farm! Shot by a fellow employee several journalists arriving in the order that believe., he pled not guilty to, Jean-Pierre added terrible. `` us Mountain Mushroom farm close! Phone scares people, not eight people, were killed in Californias Central on. Why all this happened, Martinez Jimenez said in Spanish victims - a man he called a brother a... To Rice Trucking-Soil farm off of Hwy, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve handled... Were killed in Californias Central Valley on Jan. 16 stories at the incident, or just take few. And tourist city approximately 30 miles ( 50 kilometers ) south of San Mateo County Sheriff 's Office the... Name is being withheld pending positive identification and next-of-kin notification, where he until! In an agricultural field Central Valley on Jan. half moon bay news homicide chilling new details surrounding... On Wednesday afternoon in Redwood city and in an agricultural field employed. `` San Mateo County this story been... Staging area made his initial court appearance on Wednesday the time because it was designated by Sheriff as media... Threat to the community, they added Francisco Bay area earlier this week 's officials found in... Martinez-Maya spoke with us at around 5 p.m. Monday, about his uncle who was working at time.