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| Half Moon Bay: Seven people were killed in a mass shooting in California |
Half Moon Bay: Seven people were killed in a mass shooting in California
The US state of California is facing its third mass shooting in eight days after a man shot and killed seven former co-workers south of San Francisco.
The attacks took place in the coastal town of Half Moon Bay. All those killed were Chinese-American farm workers.
The suspect, Zhao Chunli, 67, was arrested after being taken to the police station.
It comes as the state mourns the deaths of 11 people in Monterey Park – about six hours southeast of Half Moon Bay – during Lunar New Year celebrations.
And just a week earlier, six people, including a teenage mother and child, were killed at a property in Goshen, north of Los Angeles.
California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted that he was in a hospital meeting with victims of the first mass shooting when he was pulled out for a briefing on the second attack, calling it “tragedy on top of tragedy.” gave
‘indescribable’
The latest bloodshed to hit the state happened at two farms around the Half Moon Bay community.
Four victims of the shooting attack were discovered at a mushroom farm while the other three were later found at a nearby trucking business. The eighth injured is being treated in hospital and his condition is critical.
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said many children who had recently dropped out of school and lived on the rural property witnessed the attack.
“This type of shooting is horrific. It’s a tragedy we hear about often, but today there was a home invasion here in San Mateo County,” the office said.
“It’s indescribable to children.”
After carrying out the murder, the suspect drove to a local police station where his arrest was caught on camera.
American news channels showed Zhao Chunli hanging on the ground and being arrested by police.
Sheriff Corr said he had recovered a semi-automatic pistol that was used in the attack, and was cooperating with police.
Dave Pine, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, told The Associated Press that the attacks were carried out by a “disturbed activist.”
“We are sickened by today’s tragedy at Half Moon Bay,” Mr Pyne said in a statement. “There are simply too many guns in this country and that has to change.”
Hours after the attack, a shooting occurred in Oakland, about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Half Moon Bay, injuring seven and killing one.
They define a mass shooting as four or more people injured or killed in Half Moon Bay.
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| Half Moon Bay: Seven people were killed in a mass shooting in California |
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| Half Moon Bay: Seven people were killed in a mass shooting in California |
Even as details of the deadly attack in Half Moon Bay were emerging, detectives in the state’s south were still searching for a motive for the Monterey Park murder.
There, an elderly Asian immigrant killed 11 people in a suburban dance hall before killing himself as police moved in.
Seven people were killed Monday afternoon in a mass shooting that spanned two separate scenes in Half Moon Bay, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
At 2:22 p.m., four people were found dead with gunshot wounds. at a nursery along the 12700 block of San Mateo Road (Highway 92), the sheriff’s office said. Another shooting victim was taken to Stanford Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
Shortly after that discovery, three more shooting victims were found dead at another nursery along the 2100 block of Cabrillo Highway South, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities identified the suspect as 67-year-old Half Moon Bay resident Chunli Zhao. He was taken into custody without incident at 4:40 p.m. after being found in his vehicle in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s Office Substation in Half Moon Bay, the Sheriff’s Office said. A semi-automatic handgun was found in his vehicle.
Authorities said Zhao shot three of his victims in the trailers where they lived next to the farm where he worked, and then shot two others in the field.
“They were farm workers who were affected tonight. There were children at the scene. This is truly a heartbreaking event in our community,” Supervisor Ray Mueller said.