A man opened fire on people at two separate locations in Half Moon Bay on Monday afternoon, killing seven and injuring one, as children witnessed the tragedy unfold, according to law enforcement.
The suspect, 67-year-old Zhao Chunli, is believed to be a farmworker who acted alone in the mass shooting, said San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus at an evening press conference.
Deputies first were dispatched to the 12700 block of San Mateo Road, Highway 92, at 2:22 p.m., where they found four people shot dead and a fifth victim, who was transported to Stanford Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. The person remained in critical condition Monday evening.
Shortly after, authorities found three more people dead from gunshot wounds in the 2100 block of Cabrillo Highway South, according to a statement from Sheriff's Captain Eamonn Allen.
The suspect drove from one location to the next, the sheriff said. Both scenes were nurseries, officials said and all the victims appeared to be workers. Deputies were still trying to determine which location the gunman went to first.
A motive or connections between the suspect and victims was still unknown, the sheriff said, adding investigators were interviewing Zhao as night fell.
Initial reports indicated a semi-automatic handgun was located in the car, although Corpus said she couldn't confirm the type of weapon used or found with the suspect.
"My understanding is he's fully cooperating with us," Corpus said. "We just don't have the answers yet."
Zhao, a Half Moon Bay resident, worked at one of the locations.
The suspect was arrested at 4:40 p.m. when a deputy glimpsed Zhao's car in the parking lot of the Half Moon Bay Sheriff's substation. He was peacefully taken into custody. It was unclear how long he was parked there before he was arrested.
"For children to witness this is unspeakable," Corpus said. "This is a devastating tragedy for this community and the many families touched by this unspeakable act of violence."
The sheriff opened a family reunification center at IDES Hall at 735 Main St.
Inside, about 35 people, including a group of children, waited for word more than six hours after the shootings, the room quiet except for one woman sobbing in a corner. Volunteers handed out food and cans of soda as well as blankets.
"It is probably going to be a long night, but we are here with you," county Supervisor Ray Mueller told those gathered. "We have counseling services here to help support you. Chaplains here if you want to talk to a person of faith. Please don't keep it all in. Please talk to people."
The family members, who appeared to be mostly Latino, waited in a circle, with all communication translated or spoken in Spanish.
"We are with you here for today, tomorrow and always," a volunteer told them in Spanish. "We don't have a plan for tomorrow, but we have a plan for today."
While they waited, investigators continued to scour the scenes of the shootings and began to look inside the suspect's car.
One of the locations where victims were found was a local mushroom farm, according to Half Moon Bay City Council Member Joaquin Jimenez, who is also the program director of ALAS, a nonprofit that serves farmworkers.
"It's something you see on the news and never think it will happen to you," Jimenez said at the press conference. "Today, we're on the news."
San Mateo County Supervisor David Pine told The Chronicle that he's deeply saddened for the families and "frustrated by the ongoing gun violence in this country."
The massacre hit a community already devastated by recent flooding and storm damage, officials noted.
"There were farmworkers affected tonight," Mueller said at a news conference. "There were children at the scene of the incidents. This is a truly heartbreaking incident."
He urged people to seek mental health help if they need it.
The burst of violence occurred one day after a separate mass shooting in Monterey Park (Los Angeles County). Public officials and advocates against gun violence still reeling from the deaths of 11 at Monterey Park during the Lunar New Year were quick to condemn the bloodshed in Half Moon Bay on Monday.
"At the hospital meeting with victims of a mass shooting when I get pulled away to be briefed about another mass shooting," Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted. "This time in Half Moon Bay. Tragedy upon tragedy."
"First Monterey Park and now Half Moon Bay," San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa said in a statement. "Enough is enough. How many more must die?"
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo commended the sheriff for quickly arresting a suspect as developments rapidly unfolded at the two crime scenes.
"Half Moon Bay is a beloved and tight-knit community, and we all stand with them and the families of the victims during this dark hour," she said.
Former Congresswoman Jackie Speier asked on social media when Congress will "have the guts to do something about gun violence."
"A mass shooting has now hit my beloved community of Half Moon Bay, one of the last places one would expect such an abominable act," she said. "We celebrate pumpkin festivals and holiday parades there."
Reporter Mallory Moench contributed to this report.
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