2023 Half Moon Bay shootings

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On January 23, 2023, a shooting at two farms in Half Moon Bay, California, left seven people dead and one seriously injured. The attack was described by officials as workplace violence.

The gunman, 66-year-old Chunli Zhao, lived and worked at California Terra Garden (formerly Mountain Mushroom Farm) and had also worked at Concord Farms. The shooting began at Mountain Mushroom Farm around 2:20 p.m., where four people were killed and a fifth was seriously injured. Zhao then drove about two miles to Concord Farms and killed three more people. He was arrested a short time later outside the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office substation in downtown Half Moon Bay; a Glock-17 pistol was found in his vehicle.

Victims were Yetao Bing, Qizhong Cheng, Zhishen Liu, Jingzhi Lu, Marciano Martinez Jimenez, Jose Romero Perez, and Aixiang Zhang. A wounded man, Pedro Felix Romero Perez, survived after being shot multiple times. Five of the seven victims were Chinese citizens.

Authorities said Zhao’s grievances included long hours and bullying at work, and that a supervisor had demanded money for a forklift repair. Zhao later told investigators he regretted carrying out the shootings. He faced seven counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, firearm enhancements, and a special-murder-­multiple-­victims charge. He was indicted on January 23, 2024, and prosecutors have sought the death penalty.

There had been a prior incident at Terra Garden in July 2022, when another worker opened fire at a coworker’s trailer; that shooter was later charged and, in 2024, convicted of related crimes.

As of September 2025, a trial had not started and was not expected to begin until 2026, with a gag order in place restricting public discussion of the case. National and state leaders responded to the shootings, with federal law enforcement assistance and comments from the White House and Governor Newsom.

Housing conditions at California Terra Garden drew attention after reports that many workers lived in shipping containers and were paid below minimum wage; the company said it would improve housing.