The charges allow for life without parole or death if convicted, but Wagstaffe said a decision on the death penalty has not been made. Gavin Newsom also responded to the incidents, just one day after the deadly mass shooting at Monterey Park in Southern California. Prosecutors suspect Zhao continued his shooting spree at Concord Farms, another mushroom farm across town. Marciano was also a volunteer at RotaClinic. He was arrested after sheriff's officials found him in the parking lot of a department substation. The charges filed by DA Steve Wagstaffe against suspect Chunli Zhao, 66, did include the name of the seventh victim, Jose Romero Perez, and one charge of attempted murder in connection to the shooting of Pedro Romero Perez. The maximum penalty for these charges if convicted would be life in prison or the death penalty, according to Wagstaffe, who said he "plans to learn everything I can" about the suspect and the impact on the victims' families before deciding whether to pursue the death penalty. 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. We thank law enforcement for their swift response and actions. Sheriff: Half Moon Bay shootings suspect 'believed' to work with victims. Prior to arriving here in 2021, he worked at The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he spent nearly a decade covering crime, the military and the public safety net, including health care and social services. VIDEO: Woman who witnessed HMB shooting suspect's arrest shares details. Half Moon Bay is a small, laid-back, coastal and agricultural city about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of San Francisco. He was shackled and in a red jail jumpsuit, and walked into court holding a yellow piece of paper that he at times used to conceal his face from cameras. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. 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. There, investigators say he killed a former assistant manager whom he felt wronged by, as well as another couple. 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. He never had any problems with anyone. Then at 7 p.m., he told us workers from the farm confirmed to the family that his uncle was one of the people shot and killed at this scene. And that was terrifying," explains Sarah Prentice. They were sitting in their car after their shift when they saw Zhao, who was about 40 feet (12 meters) away, pull a gun from a backpack, shout something in Mandarin to a fellow Chinese farmworker and then shoot the man, they told the Bay Area News Group. In addition to seven counts of murder, Zhao was charged with one count of attempted murder, firearm use enhancements and a count of special circumstance allegation of multiple murder, Wagstaffe said. I am assuming there is some vendetta.". The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a Tuesday morning press conference that Chunli Zhao, 66, legally purchased . They were also looking into his prior contact with law enforcement. He started giving the subject commands. A "disgruntled" mushroom farm worker, 67, has been arrested for killing seven co-workers in a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay leaving California reeling from . HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KRON) One month after seven lives were taken in a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, KRON4 spoke to local leaders about how the tragic events impacted their community. Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-edition email. 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. All Rights Reserved. Five of the victims were Chinese citizens, the Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco said Thursday. 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. San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said at a news . Letters: County oversight | Compensate farmworkers | Affordable housing | Gun rights | Silencing greatness | Fossil fuel alternatives His demeanor had changed, they said. As for the shooting investigation, there were several new pieces of information passed along. This time in Half Moon Bay. He only spoke to confirm his name through an interpreter. The first shooting happened at Mountain Mushroom Farm, located at 12761 San Mateo Road, where the alleged gunman worked. His two attorneys did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment. 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. EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Watch moment police arrest suspect in deadly Half Moon Bay shootings. A farm worker who shot and killed seven people at two different locations in California was angry he was forced to foot the repair bill after a collision involving his forklift and a co-worker's. She declined to say whether the victims were the killers intended targets. Sheriff's officials have said it was workplace violence. All of this while most of society is walking down the train tracks deaf and blind to the toxic . It is just deplorable," says Williams. 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. Oates said there were three mobile homes and six trailers for employees on the premises. 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. Flowers and a card are pictured at a makeshift memorial to honor the victims of the Half Moon Bay shootings on Jan. 24. The shooting in Half Moon Bay is part of a rash of gun violence that has rocked the state. 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. A suspect, Chunli Zhao, is arrested by law enforcement personnel after a mass shooting at two locations in the coastal northern California city of Half Moon Bay, California, Jan. 23, 2023 in a still image from video. It was a very hectic scene. 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. Those families have been temporarily relocated to area motels joining other farmworker familiesdisplaced by recent floods in the area. IE 11 is not supported. The judge ordered that Zhao be held on no bail. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo joined Gov. Renato Juarez Perez told the news group that Jose and Pedro Romero Perez, who were shot at California Terra Garden, were brothers who had recently moved to the area to be close to family. California Gov. Its sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean make it a popular spot for hikers and tourists, who flock there to surf and for an annual giant pumpkin festival. Crime and Public Safety | "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. Some people were shot in trailers on the property, Wagstaffe said. The President will be updated as more details become available, Jean-Pierre added. 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 Concord Farms is a family owned and operated mushroom farm at this location for 37 years. 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. Chunli Zhao, the 66-year-old Half Moon Bay resident who authorities say shot eight farmworkers last Monday, killing seven, has been charged with multiple counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, prosecutors said last week. The Associated Press contributed to this report. FBI officials walk towards from the crime scene at Mountain Mushroom Farm, Jan. 24, 2023, after a gunman killed several people at two agricultural businesses in Half Moon Bay, Calif. He cares about everyone.". FBI officials walk towards the crime scene at California Terra Garden, formerly the Mountain Mushroom Farm, on Jan. 24. ABC7 News reporters J.R. Stone and Anser Hassan and Amanda del Castillo contributed to this report. The brothers had been recently thinking about leaving the area, Juarez Perez said, after having trouble making their plans for their families a reality. There is a vigil planned for Friday, January 27, at 5pm at the Mac Dutra Plaza. "There is a lot of sadness, there is grief," says Diaz. Seven people were fatally shot at two nurseries in Half Moon Bay on Monday. He later died by suicide. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told reporters outside the courthouse Wednesday that prosecutors requested no bail because Zhao is not a U.S. citizen and has "plenty of reason to run.". Chilling new details emerged surrounding the killing of the seven farmworkers fatally shot by a fellow employee. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KRON) On Jan. 23 at 2:30 p.m., the quiet seaside community of Half Moon Bay changed forever. The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. The new year has brought six mass killings in the U.S. in fewer than three weeks, accounting for 39 deaths. Law enforcement personnel work at the scene of shooting at Mountain Mushroom Farm, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, after a gunman killed several people at two agricultural businesses in Half Moon Bay . The Half Moon Bay bloodshed was the third mass shooting for California in eight days. The charges include additional allegations that could result in the death penalty or life in prison without parole, though Gov. Zhao's next appearance has been scheduled for Feb. 16, when he is expected to enter a formal plea. Gecker reported from San Francisco. 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. Shocked and horrified, Miriam Ortizs husband, who was behind the wheel, started the car and prepared to drive away. I dont understand why all this happened, Martinez Jimenez said in Spanish. Officials discussing the investigation mentioned a possible gang link to the killings. He had legal paperwork to live in the country at one time and investigators were determining whether it was still valid, Wagstaffe said. Background. The 66-year-old suspect was an employee of. The individual intentionally entered the trackway for unknown reasons. Contact Stephanie K. Baer at stephanie.baer@buzzfeed.com. Authorities believe the man who killed seven people and injured another in Monday's Half Moon Bay shootings was a coworker of each of the victims. He never mentioned Zhao or said anything about problems with other workers. 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. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "This community, California and the country is reeling from it.". Chunli Zhao, 66, made his first court appearance Wednesday but did not enter a plea. A semi-automatic handgun was found in the suspect's car that had been legally purchased, authorities said. The Mexican Consulate in San Francisco on Wednesday confirmed two of the deceased victims are Mexican nationals, as well as the only surviving victim of the attack. 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. Cases like this, weve never had one in this county, of this many deaths. 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. The man accused of killing seven people in a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, California, is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday, officials said. 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 . 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