Seven people are dead following a shooting incident in Half Moon Bay, Calif. on Monday.
Police have arrested a suspect.
via People:
The shooting on Monday afternoon occurred over two separate locations in the small coastal town, just south of San Francisco.
In one location off the Cabrillo Highway, four people were found dead around 2:22 p.m. local time Sheriff Christina Corpus said in a press conference on Monday evening.
A fifth victim also suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to Stanford Medical Center.
Then, three more bodies were recovered roughly a mile away. Children were present at one of the scenes but were not injured.
Roughly two hours later, police arrested Zhao Chunli a resident of Half Moon Bay. The 67-year-old suspect was found by a deputy sitting in his car in the parking lot of a nearby sheriff’s substation.
He was taken into custody without incident and the weapon was located in his vehicle, which fit a description of what police had been looking for, Corpus said.
She added that authorities believe he acted alone, and was a farm worker like his alleged victims. They also believe they have recovered the only weapon involved.
Authorities suspect he is married, said the sheriff.
The motive is not known, however, all of the victims were Chinese farmworkers, city councilwoman Debbie Ruddock told NBC Bay Area.
“Gun violence in this country is at completely unacceptable levels and has really hit home tonight,” San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Pine said during the news briefing. “Our hearts are broken. We are really grateful to law enforcement … but in the end, there are simply too many guns in this country and there has to be a change.”
Ray Mueller of the Board of Supervisors also took the podium and pleaded for residents to use the city’s mental health resources to deal with the tragedy, noting that the shootings come after the state was hit with heavy storms, and another mass shooting just over the weekend.
“You are not alone. We have counseling services available,” he said. “You can reach out to us on the county hotline. You are not alone and we are here for you this evening.”
Half Moon Bay Vice Mayor Joaquin Jimenez also spoke about the severe weather and recent shooting the state has suffered.
“The farm workers in the community were affected, and now this,” he said during the press conference. “This is something that we get to watch on the news. You never think that it’s going to come and hit home. Today, we’re on the news. Our community has been affected … There’s really not much I can say about the pain that we’re feeling right now.”
Anyone with information is urged to reach out to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
The tragedy marks the second mass shooting in California this week.
On Monday, the 11th victim died after a gunman opened fire in Monterey Park, Calif. during a Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday. The victims in that shooting were also from the Asian community.
The incident occurred on the eve of the Lunar New Year, a major holiday in many Asian communities. Earlier that day, tens of thousands of people had gathered locally to celebrate the holiday.
After the massacre, the gunman headed to another nearby dance studio with his gun, but he was heroically thwarted by an employee.
The shooter fled immediately after the Monterey Park shooting and was at large until mid-day Sunday, when he was found dead in Torrance, about 30 minutes away, after a daylong search. He fatally shot himself after authorities used armored vehicles to find the white van he was driving at the time.
The shooter was a Hemet, Calif., resident who reportedly had been a patron at Star Dance Studio.
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