CNN
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At least seven people were killed and one person seriously injured in shootings at two different locations in a small coastal community in Central California on Monday.
According to San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, the suspect, identified as Chunli Zhao, 67, was taken into custody more than two hours after the Half Moon Bay shooting.
Authorities believe Zhao acted alone, with Corpus noting a motive was not known as of Monday evening and there is no threat to the community.
“This is a devastating tragedy for this community and the families affected by this unspeakable act of violence,” Corpus said at a news conference Monday night.
At 2:22 p.m., deputies were alerted to a shooting in an unincorporated area in San Mateo County nearly 30 miles south of San Francisco, the sheriff said. They found four victims dead and one injured upon arrival at the first site, and three more victims were found dead at another site shortly afterward, Corpus said.
One shooting occurred at a mushroom farm and another near a transportation company about two miles from the farm, Dave Pine, chairman of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, previously told CNN.
At 4:40 p.m., a sheriff’s deputy located the suspect in his vehicle in the parking lot of a sheriff’s substation in Half Moon Bay, Corpus said, and he was taken into custody without incident. A semi-automatic handgun was found in his vehicle at the time, she said.
“These shootings are horrific,” Corpus said at the news conference. “It’s a tragedy we hear about way too often, but today it arrived here in San Mateo County.”
The tragedy unfolded just days after another mass shooting in Southern California Saturday night left 11 dead in Monterey Park, shattering the sense of security in the Asian-majority city on the eve of the Lunar New Year.
In all, the US has seen at least 38 mass shootings this month, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The Archives and CNN define a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are injured or killed, not counting the shooter.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was at a hospital gathering victims of the Monterey Park mass shooting when he was “pulled away to be briefed on another shooting.” This time in Half Moon Bay.”
“Tragedy upon Tragedy”, Newsom tweeted.
Ray Mueller, a San Mateo County supervisor, said the Half Moon Bay community must work together to heal and support each other to address gun violence.
“Farm workers were hit last night; there were children at the scene at the incidents. This is truly a heartbreaking tragedy in our community,” Mueller said.
Mueller spoke against the toll the violence has caused on the community and urged people to seek help.
“Please take advantage of available mental health crisis services,” he said, adding that anyone can contact the county’s hotline. “You are not alone.”
