They were identified by the office as Yetao Bing, 43, residence unknown; Qizhong Cheng, 66, of Half Moon Bay; Zhishen Liu, 73, of San Francisco; Jingzhi Lu, 64, of Half Moon Bay; Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, of Moss Beach; and Aixiang Zhang, 74, of San Francisco. Among those allegations are that Zhao used a gun, caused great bodily injury and killed multiple people. High 52F. Authorities say Zhao then drove to Concord Farms, where he worked until 2015, and began shooting there. 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. Tags: Associated Press, courts, crime, California. And. Santa Clara County court records show that Yingjiu Wang filed a temporary restraining order in 2013 against Zhao. Victims were adults and a mixture of Hispanic and Asian descent. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- Seven people are dead and one is critically injured following shootings at two farms in Half Moon Bay this afternoon, a source confirmed to ABC7 News. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. We have not had in San Mateo County before, a case with one instance of seven murders at once, Wagstaffe said at a news conference. More than 60 people have been killed. The Half Moon Bay bloodshed was the third mass shooting for California in eight days. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the Chinese American community, from Half Moon Bay to Monterey Park. I am assuming there is some vendetta.". Deputies who tackled Zhao immediately searched him for weapons and he appeared to be unarmed. "There is a lot of sadness, there is grief," says Diaz. Erlin Ortiz said Zhao, who grew onions for himself and his wife in a little garden plot, would wave and greet them but always seemed serious. 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. Wang could not be immediately reached, the Chronicle reported. Crime and Public Safety | He was a good person. Five men and two women were gunned down. SHARE. Two hours into the manhunt, Zhao drove himself the San Mateo County Sheriffs substation parking lot at 537 Kelly Avenue in Half Moon Bay. 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. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the two were roommates and worked at a restaurant, and the man filed a temporary restraining order against Zhao that was granted but is no longer in effect. Some were already staying in hotels because their homes were damaged in the storm. 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. "This is a devastating tragedy for this community and the many families touched by this unspeakable act of violence," said San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus. Zhao is accused of fatally shooting seven people and wounding an eighth in what authorities have dubbed "an instance of workplace violence." On Monday, he unleashed a barrage of bullets at a. It was a very hectic scene. The shootings were reported at Mountain Mushroom Farm on San Mateo Road near Highway 1 and Concord Farms off Cabrillo Hwy S. First responders first received a call about an active shooter at around 2:20 p.m. ___. Stay informed with the newest Half Moon Bay Review headlines, breaking news, traffic alerts, and contest information weekly. He cares about everyone.". During his arraignment hearing, Zhao, who appeared in a red jumpsuit and used a piece of paper to block his face, was appointed two private defenders and an entry of plea was scheduled for Feb. 16. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group via AP, Pool) Suspect in Half Moon Bay farm killings faces 7 murder counts. 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. At a news conference Tuesday, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said that the only known connection between the alleged shooter and his victims is that "they may have been coworkers. 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 . Marciano was also a volunteer at RotaClinic. He's originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. Zhao attempted to yell something to a nearby TV news cameraman but he was tackled facedown and placed in handcuffs. 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. Crime and Public Safety | "It will all go through my office, and we're going to do it very limitedly for the reason that we want to make sure that this man gets a fair trial. Shocked and horrified, Miriam Ortizs husband, who was behind the wheel, started the car and prepared to drive away. Ortega told the local newspaper group she was cooking at her Moss Beach home when a friend called telling her that Martinez Jimenez had been killed. 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. Chunli Zhao appears for a motion hearing at the San Mateo County Hall of Justice on February 10, 2023 in Redwood City, California. "They're not recognizable in the community. Mostly sunny. For more information on how to help the Half Moon Bay farming community, visit ALAS (Ayudando a Latinos a Soar) at their websitealasdreams.com. Some of the victims lived and worked on the farms. Gavin Newsom has issued a moratorium on executions. All victims are thought to be workers at the nurseries and were of Asian and Hispanic descent, authorities said. The suspect, 66-year-old Chinese national Chunli Zhao, is being held without bond. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Sheriff's officials have said it was workplace violence. 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. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. "They provide so much for us. She declined to say whether the victims were the killers intended targets. Something is going on, but we don't know where it is. Wagstaffe said the Half Moon Bay mass shooting was the largest in San Mateo County's history. Crime and Public Safety. He never had any problems with anyone. 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. The subject exited the vehicle and was taken into custody.. 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. 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. SOUTHPORT, Fla. (WMBB) A locally owned bay county company has become the latest victim in an organized crime spree. His two attorneys did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) A farmworker accused of killing seven people in back-to-back shootings at two Northern California mushroom farms will be charged with seven counts of murder and one of attempted murder, a prosecutor said Wednesday. This is a truly heartbreaking tragedy in our community," said Supervisor Ray Mueller. California; Half Moon Bay; CA-92; . Before that, he covered education and general assignment stories at The Greeley Tribune in northern Colorado. Corpus said her coroners office is attempting to notify the victims families, however, this is especially challenging because families members live in other countries. 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. He started giving the subject commands. "At the hospital meeting with victims of a mass shooting when I get pulled away to be briefed about another shooting. The San Francisco Chronicle and Bay Area News Group subsequently reported that Zhao was accused in civil court of threatening to suffocate and split the head of his former co-worker and roommate. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a Tuesday morning press conference that Chunli Zhao, 66, legally purchased . "We saw all the sirens going one way and then all the sirens going the other way. Crime and Public Safety | Deputies then discovered three more bodies at another nursery, Concord Farms, about a mile away. Half Moon Bay, California Authorities on Wednesday identified those killed in the Half Moon Bay shooting as: Yetao Bing, 43, Qizhong Cheng, 66, Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, Aixiang. Chunli Zhao, 66, was the lone suspect in Monday's shooting, which authorities described as " workplace violence ", in the town of Half Moon Bay near San Francisco. Prosecutors also filed an attempted murder charge against the suspect who allegedly said he believed he had been disrespected by the victims of Monday's shooting. David K. Li is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. "This community, California and the country is reeling from it.". Error! And that the case gets tried here in the community, and which it was committed." Half Moon Bay, CA (94019) Today. The sheriffs office did a magnificent job investigating this case, Wagstaffe said. Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. He left the gun inside his SUV when he parked it at the sheriffs substation. By Associated Press California. 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. 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