At least seven people were shot dead Monday (23rd) in the Half Moon Bay area of California, United States. A man killed 11 people at a nightclub in Monterey Park on Saturday (Sunday morning 21 in Brazil) in the state, marking the second gun attack and multiple casualties in three days.
This Monday’s crimes occurred around 2:20 p.m. (7:20 p.m. Brasilia) at two farms near Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles from San Francisco. The victims were not identified, but Councilwoman Debbie Ruddock said they were Chinese farm workers.
The suspect, identified as Zhao Chunli, 67, was arrested. He was found in a car in a police station parking lot. Authorities said the man was taken into custody without incident and a gun was found in the vehicle. The motivation for the attacks is being investigated.
The crimes came at a time when people are mourning the attack in Monterey Park, where 65% of the population is of Asian descent. At least 11 people died and 9 were injured. It is not yet known if the cases are linked in any way.
“Two hours ago, I met colleagues on the steps of the Capitol for a vigil for the victims of the Monterey Park shooting,” California Representative Marc Berman wrote on social media. “Before we even have a chance to mourn, there’s one more mass shooting this time in Half Moon Bay.”
Out there
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was at the hospital meeting with victims of the Monterey Park attack when he received news of the new incident. “Tragedy upon tragedy,” he said. President Joe Biden stated that local authorities will receive all necessary assistance to investigate the crimes.
The attack in Monterey Park sparked a wave of fear among Asian Americans and jeopardized US Lunar New Year celebrations. Other cities sent agents to step up security in the city on Sunday, and the celebrations were canceled.
The motives for the attack on Saturday are also unknown. Suspect Huu Can Tran, 72, of Asian descent, committed suicide after being surrounded by police. On Monday, witnesses testified that the man had given dance lessons at the crime scene and behaved explosively.
The cases add to the history of gun massacres in the country. According to the Gun Violence Archive research group, which monitors gun violence in the US, from the beginning of the year to this second, 38 mass shootings have been recorded in which four or more people were shot dead, for an average of 1. 65 per day.
According to an FBI report released in May, the number of sniper attacks in the US doubled from 2018 to 2021. In the first year of the survey there were 30 killings of one or more people in populated areas. In 2021, that number rose to 61.
Also according to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 354 fatal shootings last year. More than 44,000 people died from guns in the country in 2022, more than half of them by suicide. The US has more guns than people: one in three adults owns at least one such artifact, and almost one in two adults lives in a household with a gun.