CNN
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At least seven people were killed and one seriously injured Monday in two separate shootings in a small coastal community in central California, officials said, making it the second mass shooting in three days. became.
The suspect was identified as Chunli Zhao, 67, and was taken into custody more than two hours after the Half Moon Bay shooting, according to San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus.
Authorities believe Zhao acted alone, with Corpus saying his motives were unclear Monday night and that he poses no threat to the community.
“This is a devastating tragedy for this community and families affected by this unspeakable act of violence,” Corpus said at a news conference Monday night.
At 2:22 p.m., sheriffs were alerted to a shooting in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. They found four victims dead and one wounded when they arrived at the first location, and soon after another three more dead at another location. was discovered.
Dave Pine, chairman of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, previously told CNN.
At 4:40 p.m., the suspect’s car was found by a sheriff’s deputy in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s Substation in Half Moon Bay, and the suspect was taken into custody without incident, according to the Corpus. A semi-automatic pistol was found in his car at the time, she said.
“This kind of shooting is terrifying,” Corpus said in a press conference.
The tragedy comes just days after another shooting in Southern California on Saturday night, which left 11 dead in Monterey Park and destroyed the Asian-majority city on the eve of Chinese New Year. My sense of security was shattered.
Overall, there have been at least 38 mass shootings in the United States this month, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Archives and CNN define a mass shooting as one in which four or more of his people, excluding the shooter, are injured or killed.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said when he was at the hospital meeting with victims of the Monterey Park shooting, “I was pulled away to be briefed on another shooting, this time at Half Moon Bay.”
Newsom “Tragedy after tragedy” murmured.
San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller said the community at Half Moon Bay needs not only to help each other to deal with gun violence, but to come together to heal.
“Tonight there were farm workers affected. There were children at the scene of the incident. This is a truly heartbreaking tragedy for our community,” Muller said.
Mueller spoke to the mental health victims that violence has unleashed in their communities, urging people to seek help.
“Take advantage of available mental health crisis counseling,” he said, adding that anyone can reach out to the county hotline.
