On Monday, authorities in California apprehended a farmer who was assumed to have taken the lives of seven individuals at two distinct locations across the state – making this the second mass shooting within 24 hours.
Security camera recordings revealed police officers forcefully pushing down an Asian man, who had been wearing a red jacket and jeans.
Law enforcement officers and emergency personnel were alerted to travel to a region littered with farms in San Mateo County, just south of San Francisco, where they encountered several people who had been either killed or injured.
Provincial Police Chief Christina Corpus reported that local television outlets had informed them of a shooting incident in Half Moon Bay, after which 67-year-old Shunli Zhao was arrested shortly following.
Another Video- A suspect is now in custody in the Half Moon Bay shootings. Here’s the intense moment it happened.#Shooting #StopGun #California #HalfMoonBay #GunControlNow pic.twitter.com/nhgLRGT4Hf
— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) January 24, 2023
“At 2:22 pm this afternoon, police were dispatched to the farming town due to reports of gunfire and several casualties,” she stated.
Moment suspect in Half Moon Bay #MassShooting was taken into custody. 67-year old Zhao Chunli arrested for the deaths of 7-people.@KPIXtv #kpix #HMB #HalfMoonBay pic.twitter.com/GJEMzuG500
— Ryan Yamamoto (@RyanKPIX) January 24, 2023
Upon arriving to the scene, officers discovered four deceased individuals who had succumbed to gunshot wounds. As one of the victims was in critical condition, they transferred them immediately to Stanford Medical Center. With further investigation, three additional shooting casualties were also identified at a different location.
According to Corpus, Chau made his way to a police substation in Half Moon Bay and was met by an ABC7 news crew ready to document the suspect’s arrest with a press conference.
Zhao was apprehended without any conflict and a semi-automatic pistol was discovered in his vehicle, according to Corpus. Although the precise motive for Zhao’s actions is yet unclear, this shooting occurred within a residential rural area full of families.
Located on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay are two farms that were recently witness to a fatal shooting. Aerial video taken by news outlets depicted acres and acres of plastic greenhouses surrounded by the rural landscape.
One tragedy after another
Just two days ago, tragedy struck as an Asian man in his seventies fatally took eleven lives during a Lunar New Year celebration at a local dance hall before taking his own.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Monterey Park visiting the wounded from a mass shooting when he heard news of yet another tragedy – this time taking place in Half Moon Bay. “Tragedy after tragedy,” said Gov. Newsom, his voice heavy with emotion.
Karen Jean-Pierre, the White House spokeswoman, reported that President Biden had been informed of the incident and requested federal agencies to give any necessary aid to local organizations.
