A farmworker accused of killing seven people in shootings at two Northern California mushroom farms has been charged with seven counts of murder Roughly two hours later, police arrested Zhao Chunli a resident of Half Moon Bay. There was an error processing your request. 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. In 2021, only . 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. Chunli Zhao is accused of killing four people at a mushroom farm and three others at a . The judge ordered that Zhao be held on no bail. ( NewsNation) The murder clearance rate hit an all-time low in 2020, and data analyzed by a nonprofit shows that trend continued last year. Zhao gunned down five people, killing four, investigators said. Zhao is cooperating with investigators. Those killed were Qizhong Cheng, Yetao Bing, Jingzhi Lu and Jose Romero Perez. There were no specific indicators that he was capable of something like this, Allen said. Crime and Public Safety | The charges will be filed before Chunli Zhao, 66, makes his first court . Theres an awful lot more to learn.. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Tracking the drought: Map shows conditions across SF Bay Area, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, Watch moment police arrest suspect in deadly Half Moon Bay shootings, Woman who witnessed HMB shooting suspect's arrest shares details, There have been more mass shootings in US than days in 2023, database shows, latest on the deadly Half Moon Bay shootings here. Sadly, officials say the shootings impacted children too. The criminal complaint charges Zhao in the order that investigators believe the killings and attempted killing occurred, Wagstaffe said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Zhao, communicating through a Mandarin interpreter, confirmed his name and San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Susan Jakubowski appointed attorney Jonathan D. McDougallto represent him. Bay Area News Group) Show Caption The deadliest mass murder in San Mateo County history unfolded at two Chinese-owned mushroom farms - California Terra Garden tucked off Highway . The San Mateo County Coroners Office confirmed the identities of six of the seven victims that were killed in the mass shooting. He was in court for just about five minutes, hiding his face behind a piece of paper for most of that time. All of this while most of society is walking down the train tracks deaf and blind to the toxic . California; Half Moon Bay; CA-92; . Gavin Newsom tweeted on Monday that he was meeting with victims of the Monterey Park shooting, which occurred in an Asian-American enclave, when he was "pulled away to be briefed" about Half Moon Bay. "They weren't happening as planned.". Seven people were fatally shot at two nurseries in Half Moon Bay on Monday. "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. Flowers and a card are pictured at a makeshift memorial to honor the victims of the Half Moon Bay shootings on Jan. 24. More than 60 people have been killed. 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. The sheriff's office says a weapon was located in Zhao's vehicle. M Bay Area News Group) Show Caption The deadliest mass murder in San Mateo County history unfolded at two Chinese-owned mushroom farms - California Terra Garden tucked off Highway . He left and came back minutes later with a gun, killing her fellow workers. The shooting took place in the San Francisco Bay area earlier this week. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) 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. Contact Stephanie K. Baer at stephanie.baer@buzzfeed.com. Five men and two women were gunned down. "not concerned about anything else, just hoping to see him come out, because I really don't want to" said Carlos Martinez-Maya. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. And that the case gets tried here in the community, and which it was committed." Two hours into the manhunt, Zhao drove himself the San Mateo County Sheriffs substation parking lot at 537 Kelly Avenue in Half Moon Bay. They were also looking into his prior contact with law enforcement. Background. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. 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. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Half Moon Bay suspect in court after 7 people killed in mass shooting. No additional details were provided on the prior felony. IE 11 is not supported. Though charging documents filed against Zhao on Thursday identified him as Jose Romero Perez. "Totally shocking you hear about this on the news all the time. Elias: Reconfigure Californias fruit stops to check for illegal guns His demeanor had changed, they said. The charges start with Qi Zhong Cheng, and end with Ai Xiang Zhang. An eighth shooting victim was hospitalized in stable condition as of Tuesday evening, authorities said. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a Tuesday morning press conference that Chunli Zhao, 66, legally purchased and owned the semi-automatic handgun he allegedly used to shoot eight people at two different locations in Half Moon Bay on Monday. 0. Crime and Public Safety | HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) A farmworker accused of killing seven people in back-to-back . The alleged gunman in the Half Moon Bay, California, mass shooting, Chunli Zhao, is apprehended Monday. 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. 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. At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo joined Gov. The shooting illuminated deep concerns about living conditions among migrant workers living on farms across San Mateo County. The Half Moon Bay shooting also occurred nearly two years after a VTA employee shot and killed nine of his colleagues at an agency rail yard. Throughout the evening, families of victims arrived at the scene, attempted to piece together what answers they could. Locals tell us Mountain Mushroom Farm is known to be a marijuana growing farm. She told Nunez she believed she was left unharmed because she never had any issues with the man. "He was a human being with a big heart. 66-year-old Qizhong Cheng - and 64-year old Jingzhi Lu of Half Moon Bay Prosecutors charged Zhao with seven counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Success! Through an interpreter, Nunez said Juana was approached by a man she recognized as a former fellow employee as the workers were wrapping up their day. San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said at a news . Wagstaffe went on to say his office believes that they know a motive in the shooting, but he wouldn't divulge that, saying the focus now is on the prosecution and keeping the details out of the public eye to ensure a fair trial. Feb 12, 2023 8:40pm; In Half Moon . Wagstaffe, speaking outside the courthouse, declined to share any additional details on a motive in the killing of Zhao's current and former coworkers, saying he wanted to keep the details out of the public eye to ensure a fair trial. Half Moon Bay, CA (94019) Today. If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live, Black ice causes problematic commute for North Bay drivers, Clear skies pave way for snow fun day on Mt. Zhao entered a plea of not guilty and has been charged with seven counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for the mass shooting on January 23, 2023 in Half Moon Bay,. Three have struck California since Jan. 16, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. Some people were shot in trailers on the property, Wagstaffe said. The Half Moon Bay Shooting Victims Have Been Identified And The Suspected Shooter Has Been Charged With Murder. "They were killed with purpose, with intent, execution style," Eshoo told reporters. Prosecutors filed the . 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. 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. Detectives from the Vacaville Police Department on Wednesday arrested two men, including one from Pacifica, in connection with a 2022 murder in the East Bay. Among those allegations are that Zhao used a gun, caused great bodily injury, killed multiple people, and had a prior felony conviction. The charges against Zhao. Choose wisely! The local group ALAS is aiding with donations. But the victims' families get justice through a fair trial. How safe is your neighborhood? 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. Officials discussing the investigation mentioned a possible gang link to the killings. 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 . He later died by suicide. A fifth victim, also suffering from gunshot wounds, was transported to Stanford Medical Center with life threatening injuries. The sheriffs office did a magnificent job investigating this case, Wagstaffe said. Crime Half Moon Bay Shooting: 6 of 7 Fatal Victims Identified The victims have been identified as Zhishen Liu, 73; Qizhong Cheng, 66; Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50; Yetao Bing, 43; Aixiang Zhang, 74; and Jingzhi Lu, 64 She said that mushroom farms offer the benefit of year-round work. "This community, California and the country is reeling from it.". "We're not revealing that at this point. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. Seven people were fatally shot at two nurseries in Half Moon Bay on Monday. The attack, in the coastal city of Half Moon Bay, is believed to be. Chunli Zhao appears for a motion hearing at the San Mateo County Hall of Justice on February 10, 2023 in Redwood City, California. ", 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.". 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. MORE: There have been more mass shootings in US than days in 2023, database shows. 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. 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. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. ( KRON) A suspect is in custody in connection to separate shootings that left seven people dead and one in critical condition in Half Moon Bay on Monday. Wagstaffe said they have a "feeling on a motive" but are not sharing that at this time. He never mentioned Zhao or said anything about problems with other workers. "The Mountain Mushroom Farm, the first location, was where the suspect was employed.". 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 Thursday to a slew of murder charges. 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. This on the news all the time locals tell us Mountain Mushroom,! 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