Monitoring Desk
LOS ANGELES: A gunman killed seven people before being arrested in California Monday, just two days after a shooter killed 11 persons at a popular dance hall.
The latest two attacks occurred at two separate locations in the coastal city of Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. The attacker has been identified as a 67 years old Zhao Chunli. He is a local resident. The fresh incident occurred as the state mourns the deaths in majority-Asian Monterey Park during celebrations for the Lunar New Year, according to BBC News.
The suspect on Monday was filmed by news cameras turning himself into the office of San Mateo County Sheriff about two hours after the incident.
The first four victims were spotted at a mushroom farm around 00:22GMT, while the other three were later located at a nearby trucking business. The investigators were yet to find a motive for this attack.
Christina Corpus, the San Mateo County Sheriff said at a news conference that the suspect was arrested after driving himself to a local police station around 16:40. He was found with a semi-automatic pistol that might have been used in the attack, and is currently “co-operating” with police, she added. She added that the eighth victim in the shooting is being treated in a hospital and is in critical condition.
Corpus termed the kind of shooting as horrific. In a news conference, she also confirmed that witnesses include children who had recently been let out of school and lived on the rural property. “For children to witness this is unspeakable,” she added.
“Tragedy upon tragedy”
Governor California, Gavin Newsom tweeted that he was at the hospital meeting with victims of a mass shooting when he was pulled away to be briefed about another shooting. “This time in Half Moon Bay. Tragedy upon tragedy.”
Council member Half Moon Bay, Debbie Ruddock told NBC that the victims were Chinese farm workers. President San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Dave Pine told the Associated Press that the attacks were committed by a “disgruntled worker”.
