Police investigate the scene of a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, California. Photo: AP
Seven people were killed in two related shootings on 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 said four people were killed at the farm and three at the trucking business on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay, a city about 50km (30 miles) south of San Francisco.
Pine said the suspect worked for one of the businesses. He called the suspect a “disgruntled worker”.
Police did not share information about a possible motive and have yet to release the identity of the victims. NBC Bay Area cited Half Moon Bay city councilwoman Debbie Ruddock saying the victims are Chinese farmworkers.
Sheriff Christina Corpus said 67-year-old Zhao Chunli was arrested shortly after the carnage erupted in a dramatic takedown captured by local TV crews.
“Today at 2.22pm sheriff’s deputies were dispatched... on the report of a shooting with multiple victims.
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“Upon arrival, deputies located four victims deceased with gunshot wounds.
“A fifth victim also suffering from a gunshot wound was transported to Stanford Medical Centre with life threatening injuries.
“Shortly thereafter three additional victims were also located deceased with gunshot wounds at a separate shooting scene.
Corpus said Zhao then drove to a sheriff’s substation in Half Moon Bay where ABC7 crews were waiting for a news conference.
Dramatic footage showed an Asian man wearing a red fleece and blue jeans being pulled to the ground by armed officers.
“Zhao was taken into custody without incident and a semi-automatic handgun was located in his vehicle,” Corpus said.
The shooting was the nation’s sixth mass shooting just 23 days into the new year and followed the killing of 11 people late Saturday at a ballroom dance hall in Southern California.
We’re still trying to understand exactly what happened and why, but it’s just incredibly, incredibly tragic,” said California state Senator Josh Becker, who represents much of San Mateo County. Becker called the area “a very close-knit” agricultural community.
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 Brussels sprouts. The county allows cannabis farming in certain areas.
It’s a majority white community and about 5 percent of the population is Asian, according to Census data.
California Governor 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”.
White House press spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the incident.
“He has asked federal law enforcement to provide any necessary assistance to the local authorities. As more details become available, the President will be updated.”
Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
