Crime scene investigators combed through the trailers Tuesday morning looking for forensic evidence. We have not had in San Mateo County before, a case with one instance of seven murders at once, Wagstaffe said at a news conference. ", 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.". As for the shooting investigation, there were several new pieces of information passed along. John Williams and his wife dropped off blankets. But when you hear about it, when it comes home to you like, in a small town like this, it really does bring it home. First published on January 25, 2023 / 7:14 AM. Chilling new details emerged surrounding the killing of the seven farmworkers fatally shot by a fellow employee. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images The U.S. has seen 39 mass shootings so far this month. Seven people were fatally shot at two nurseries in Half Moon Bay on Monday. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Deschler at 1-800-547-2700. Prosecutors filed the . Several people reported that relocating allowed them to have a good night's sleep again, added Guerrero. The brothers had been recently thinking about leaving the area, Juarez Perez said, after having trouble making their plans for their families a reality. Stephanie Baer is a reporter with BuzzFeed News and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. 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. Chopper over a scene of a shooting in Half Moon Bay, January 23, 2023. a mass shooting at two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms, the killing of a teenage mother, her baby and six others, multiple people were shot and one person was killed in Oakland, Update: 'Workplace violence' blamed in Half Moon Bay mass killing spree, 'Shame on them;' Newsom excoriates gun control opponents following California mass shootings, Oakland shooting kills 18-year-old, injures 4; Others hurt in crash while fleeing. Prosecutors will determine charges after the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office submits the case later on Tuesday. 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. Federico Nunez, whose ex-wife, Juana, works at Concord Farms, told KPIX she was able to escape the shooting unharmed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "They weren't happening as planned.". Erlin Ortiz and her sister, Miriam Ortiz, pack mushrooms at the farm where Zhao is accused of killing four people. Corpus said her coroners office is attempting to notify the victims families, however, this is especially challenging because families members live in other countries. 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. Background. The criminal complaint charges Zhao in the order that investigators believe the killings and attempted killing occurred, Wagstaffe said. "Totally shocking you hear about this on the news all the time. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the Chinese American community, from Half Moon Bay to Monterey Park. All the evidence we have points to this being the instance of workplace violence. Our deepest sympathies are with the families and individuals who have been devastated by this horrendous act. We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen. Those killed were Qizhong Cheng, Yetao Bing, Jingzhi Lu and Jose Romero Perez. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Motive sought for Monterey Park mass shooting that left 11 dead during Lunar New Year celebrations, Baby, teen mom among 6 victims in massacre at Central Valley home, Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12, 50-year-old Moss Beach resident Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 73-year-old San Francisco resident Zhishen Liu, 74-year-old San Francisco resident Aixiang Zhang, 64-year-old Half Moon Bay resident Jingzhi Lu, 66-year-old Half Moon Bay resident Qizhong Cheng, 43-year-old Yetao Bing (residence unknown), Jose Romero Perez (age and residence unknown). 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. Error! Crime and Public Safety | While the motives remain a mystery, the. None of the victims names have been released by the coroner. Cases like this, weve never had one in this county, of this many deaths. This is a truly heartbreaking tragedy in our community," said Supervisor Ray Mueller. "You come here and you make plans and sometimes things dont happen the way you thought," he said. Theres an awful lot more to learn.. Three have struck California since Jan. 16, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. Some of these victims were members of our migrant community, Sheriff Corpus said. Chunli Zhao, dressed in a red jail jumpsuit, held his head down as he entered the not-guilty plea through a Mandarin translator at the San Mateo County Hall of Justice. Officials released the names of the two women and five men killed in shootings at two farms in Half Moon Bay, California, as the man accused of gunning them down was charged with their murders on Wednesday. Zhao has been charged with seven counts of murder and one count of. They were also looking into his prior contact with law enforcement. Community mourns Half Moon Bay victims at interfaith service, makeshift memorial, Deadly gunfire shatters the laid-back lifestyle of big surf mecca Half Moon Bay, 'Scourge of gun violence;' Local politicians react to Half Moon Bay mass shooting, AG Bonta warns of crowdfunding scams in wake of Half Moon Bay, Monterey Park shootings, Half Moon Bay mass shooting devastating to local farmworker community. 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. The surviving victim was identified in charging documents as Pedro Romero Perez. Sheriff: Half Moon Bay shootings suspect 'believed' to work with victims. Something is going on, but we don't know where it is. "There were farmworkers affected tonight. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KRON) On Jan. 23 at 2:30 p.m., the quiet seaside community of Half Moon Bay changed forever. Zhao gunned down five people, killing four, investigators said. Wagstaffe said the charges will "obviously" involve the seven homicides. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. It's not yet known if the woman, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt at the time, was using her car's self-driving features or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Zhao did not have a lengthy criminal history in San Mateo County. "I walked into my boss' office at 4 p.m. and I said, 'There are four people dead in my town, I have to go,'" says Shea. Sheriff's officials have said it was workplace violence. Prosecutors suspect Zhao continued his shooting spree at Concord Farms, another mushroom farm across town. "We remain shocked and grief-stricken over the senseless loss of four of our friends and long-time employees, and we pray for the team member that remains in critical condition," said California Terra Garden in a statement. Five men and two women were gunned down. This time in Half Moon Bay. He left and came back minutes later with a gun, killing her fellow workers. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 09:40 PM EST. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. They're invisible without transportation and without resources. And Aaron Tung, part owner of Concord Farms, did not respond Wednesday to a request for additional comment. "This community, California and the country is reeling from it.". He did not actively surrender to us. The sheriff's office says a weapon was located in Zhao's vehicle. Initial reports indicated three people were trapped, but firefighters at the scene learned the three people were able to exit the building to safety. His wails were so loud during that hearing that the judge called for a brief recess. Judge Jakubowski ordered Zhao held without bail and set his arraignment for Feb. 16. He never had any problems with anyone. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. At the Feb. 10 proceeding, Zhao sobbed openly in court while a judge imposed a gag order barring attorneys from speaking to the press. Zhao has lived in the United States for at least a dozen years, Wagstaffe said, adding he had legal paperwork to live in the country at one time and investigators were determining whether it was still valid. "They provide so much for us. And that the case gets tried here in the community, and which it was committed." An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Oates said there were three mobile homes and six trailers for employees on the premises. They were identified by the office as Yetao Bing, 43, residence unknown; Qizhong Cheng, 66, of Half Moon Bay; Zhishen Liu, 73, of San Francisco; Jingzhi Lu, 64, of Half Moon Bay; Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, of Moss Beach; and Aixiang Zhang, 74, of San Francisco. The shootings were reported at Mountain Mushroom Farm on San Mateo Road near Highway 1 and Concord Farms off Cabrillo Hwy S. First responders first received a call about an active shooter at around 2:20 p.m. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Officials discussing the investigation mentioned a possible gang link to the killings. 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