Seven killed in San Mateo County shootings Homicides happen just days after Monterey Park shootings; Santa Barbara police chief issues statement

By CALEB BEEGHLY NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Eight people were shot, and seven of the eight were killed on Monday in shootings in Half Moon Bay.

The San Mateo County shootings took place at two different mushroom farms Mountain Mushroom Farms and Concord Farms).

The victims, five men and two women, were all employees of the farms, and all of the victims were of Asian or Hispanic descent, some being a part of the local migrant community.

Police have a suspect in custody, a 66-year-old man named Chunli Zhao. Mr. Zhao worked at one of the mushroom farms and has a history of workplace violence – he was previously accused of attempting to suffocate his co-worker who he was living with – leading the police to consider this as an incident of workplace violence.

The shootings were carried out with a legally purchased semi-automatic handgun, and Mr. Zhao had no prior criminal record in San Mateo County. He was booked into the San Mateo County Maguire Correctional Facility on seven counts of firstdegree murder and one count of attempted murder. He is set to be officially charged at an arraignment today.

The surviving male victim was transported to Stanford Medical Center, where his life-threatening injuries were treated. He is reported to be in stable condition.

This comes just days after the Monterey Park shooting that left 11 people dead. The victims have now been identified as Xiujuan Yu, 57; Hong Jian, 62; Lilian Li, 63; My Nhan, 65; Muoi Ung, 67; and Diana Tom, 70. The male victims were identified as Wen Yu, 64; Valentino Alvero, 68; Ming Ma, 72; Yu Kao, 72; and Chia Yau, 76. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to travel to Monterey Park to mourn the victims.

In response to these shootings, Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon stated, “We are saddened by the devastating incident that occurred in the City of Monterey Park and City of Half Moon Bay. Our hearts go out to all who have been impacted, and those who have lost their lives in this senseless act of violence. The actions of the responding officers, deputies, and emergency medical personnel were heroic.

“The Santa Barbara Police Department’s policies and practices are focused on reducing the number of victims when an active shooter incident happens,” Chief Gordon said. “We emphasize on engaging the shooter as quickly as possible to stop the threat. In addition, we conduct joint training with the Santa Barbara (City) Fire Department designed to get medical assistance to gunshot victims as quickly as possible.

Officers are also trained to give life-saving medical care.

“We continue to work with other government agencies and private organizations to prevent active shooter incidents in our community, by identifying persons who may pose a threat and helping them to get treatment for mental illness or other needs as part of our co-response model of teaming a mental health crisis worker and officer together,” Chief Gordon said. “The key in most cases is information sharing. If people are concerned about a student, co-worker, neighbor, or family member, they need to reach out for assistance to ensure the proper resources and treatment are provided before they reach the point of violence.

“The Santa Barbara Police Department remains vigilant and officers are here to ensure the safety of all who live in and visit our community,” Chief Gordon said.

With two mass shootings in less than a week, gun control has risen to the forefront of the Californian political conversation.

Democrats are calling for stricter gun laws, and Republicans disagree with that course of action. For instance, on Twitter, Gov. Gavin Newsom correlates California’s 37% lower death rate to the stricter gun laws, and calls for other states to follow suit, calling the relaxed gun laws a “suicide pact.” email: cbeeghly@newspress.com

However, Republicans are quick to point out that the gun was legally purchased in California, despite the strict gun laws.