Half Moon Bay mass shooting live updates: Seven people killed, suspect in custody
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on January 24, 2023
(HALF MOON BAY, Calif.) — Seven people were killed Monday in a shooting at two locations in Half Moon Bay, California, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said. One person was also taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has identified the suspect as Chunli Zhao, 67. Police are still investigating and a motive is unknown at this time. This is the state’s second mass shooting in three days.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 24, 2:04 AM EST
Farm principal says alleged gunman unfamiliar
Aaron Tung, principal at Concord Farms, one of the locations where the shooting took place, said the company wanted to thank the community for the “outpouring of thoughts and support.”
“We thank law enforcement for their swift response and actions. Concord Farms is a family owned and operated mushroom farm at this location for 37 years,” he said in a statement.
Tung added, “With no past knowledge with this gunman or his motives, we are shook and very eager to gain more information from the authorities and their investigations. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the Chinese American community—from Half Moon Bay to Monterey Park.”
Jan 23, 11:01 PM EST
Semi-automatic handgun found in suspect’s car: Sheriff
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said a semi-automatic handgun was found in the suspect’s car.
The suspect, 67-year-old Chunli Zhao, is cooperating and being interviewed, the sheriff said.
Zhao is believed to have acted alone, Corpus said.
Jan 23, 10:53 PM EST
‘Our hearts are broken’: San Mateo County official
The gun violence in the U.S. is at “completely unacceptable levels,” and it “really hit home tonight,” San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Dave Pine said Monday. “Our hearts are broken.”
“But in the end, there are simply too many guns in this country,” Pine said. “And there has to be a change. This is not an acceptable way for modern society to live its conduct its affairs.”
Jan 23, 10:37 PM EST
Shooting took place at two separate nurseries, victims thought to be workers: Sheriff
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said the department was dispatched at 2:22 p.m. local time with reports of a shooting in unincorporated San Mateo County with multiple victims.
At the first location, four people were found dead with gunshot wounds and a fifth person was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition, Corpus said during a press briefing Monday.
Shortly afterward, three additional victims were found dead at a separate location about a mile away, the sheriff said.
Both locations are nurseries, large rural properties, and some people live on site; children witnessed the shooting, Corpus said. The victims are thought to be workers.
The suspect is thought to be a farm worker, Corpus said.
The motive and the relationship between the victims and the suspect are unknown at this time. The suspect is cooperating and being interviewed, Corpus said.
Jan 23, 10:11 PM EST
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office identifies suspect
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has identified the suspect as 67-year-old Chunli Zhao, a Half Moon Bay resident.
The sheriff’s office located his vehicle at 4:40 p.m. local time in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s Office Half Moon Bay Police Substation, the department said in a press release.
Zhao was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said, adding that he is believed to have acted alone.
A weapon was found in his vehicle, authorities said.
Jan 23, 9:35 PM EST
Biden has been briefed on San Mateo County shooting, White House says
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the mass shooting in San Mateo County, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted Monday night.
“He has asked federal law enforcement to provide any necessary assistance to the local authorities. As more details become available, the President will be updated,” she wrote.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Jan 23, 9:35 PM EST
Sheriff’s office responded to shooting incident ‘with multiple victims’
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that it responded to a shooting incident “with multiple victims in the area of HWY 92 and the HMB [Half Moon Bay] City limits,” later adding that a suspect is in custody and there is “no ongoing threat to the community at this time.”
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