Names of the Half Moon Bay mass shooting victims released
The seven farmworkers killed in a workplace mass shooting Monday in Northern California, allegedly by a colleague, were migrants toiling at mushroom growing operations, all trying to forge better lives for themselves and their families, loved ones and law enforcement said.
The killings at the Mountain Mushroom Farm and the nearby Concord Farms in Half Moon Bay, a small coastal town about 30 miles south of San Francisco, was the second mass casualty shooting in three days in California. That tragedy followed a shooting Saturday evening in the Los Angeles County city of Monterey Park, where 11 people were killed and nine wounded at a dance studio.
All victims of the Half Moon Bay episode -- seven men and one woman -- were adults of Asian and Hispanic descent, authorities said. They ranged in age from 43 to 74.
The suspected gunman, 66-year-old Chunli Zhao, was a co-worker who was arrested and faces multiple counts of murder, authorities said. A motive in the shooting remains under investigation.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said investigators do not believe it was a hate crime after interviewing the suspect for several hours.
"While I won't go into the statement, I will say, it has alleviated for us any thought that this was a hate crime," Wagstaffe said. "It was not a hate crime, this was simply ... a workplace dispute."
At the White House, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, released a statement expressing condolences to the victims' families.
"Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in the latest tragic shooting in Half Moon Bay, California. For the second time in recent days, California communities are mourning the loss of loved ones in a senseless act of gun violence," President Joe Biden said in a statement.
Here is a list the seven deceased victims released by authorities:
Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50
Marciano Martinez Marciano of Moss Beach, California, worked at Concord Farms for 26 years and was a supervisor there, his family said.
Martinez's brother, Servando Martinez, told ABC San Francisco station KGO-TV that he was planning to meet him this weekend.
"I still cannot understand what happened. I don't wish this on anybody," Servando Martinez said.
In a GoFundMe page, Servando Martinez said his brother was originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, and described him as "a hardworking man."
"I'd like to thank God for the time I was able to spend with my brother, Marciano," Servando Martinez wrote. "Marciano was an honorable person in our family. He was a good son, brother, uncle and a great friend for everyone that knew him. He took on the father role for all of us.
Jose Romero Perez
Jose Romero Perez was the married father of four children.
Renato Juarez Perez told KGO-TV that he had to call his cousin's family in Mexico and break the tragic news of his death.
"They couldn't believe it and were saying, 'Why are you saying this? This is a lie,'" Renato Juarez Perez said.
He said his cousin recently took a photo to send to his family in Mexico.
Family members said Jose Romero Perez's brother, Pedro Romero Perez, was wounded in the shooting and remains in a hospital. The family said Jose Romero Perez was in his 30s, while his brother is in his 20s.
Aixiang Zhang, 74
Aixiang Zhang of San Francisco was the oldest victim of the mass shooting, according to the San Mateo County Coroner's Office.
Zhishen Liu, 73
Zhishen of San Francisco was among the seven farmworkers killed in the attack, according to the coroner's office.
Qizhong Cheng, 66
Qizhong Cheng of Half Moon Bay was identified by the coroner's office as a victim who died in the mass shooting.
Jingzhi Lu, 64
Jingzhi Lu of Half Moon Bay was identified by the coroner's office as one of the victims of the massacre.
Yetao Bing, 43
Yetao Bing, residence unknown, was identified by the coroner's office as the youngest victim of the mass shooting.
