Mass Shooting in Half Moon Bay Leaves 7 Dead, 1 Injured

It has been a difficult day and night, especially for our community in Half Moon Bay. This is what we know at this time. Seven people have died after that

mass

shooting

and another person is fighting for his life. The alleged shooter is in police custody. We are told to cooperate later. driving to the police station and turning themselves in the tragedy unfolded this afternoon in two locations in Half Moon Bay, the victims found an extensive mushroom farm where they worked and lived and in a nearby nursery, let's show the timeline, the first call came in Around 2:20 when San Mateo County sheriff's deputies arrived at the first crime scene along Highway 92, behind the Spanish Town stores, they found five victims there, one alive, three more bodies.

They founded a daycare center about three miles off Highway One. Around 4:40 a.m., the alleged gunman surrendered to officers. found parked in his car at the sheriff's substation on Kelly Avenue What you're seeing here is the moment suspect Chung Li Zao, 67, was taken into custody. Our team has been in Half Moon Bay since all of this happened. Stephanie Magayon spoke with the victims' loved ones, but we start with NBC's Terry McSweeney, one of the first reporters on the scene. Terry investigators tell us they are learning a lot about what happened after the first gunshot was reported shortly after 2 p.m. and we are learning more about what the suspect was doing and about his arrest tonight.

FBI agents at the scene of the

shooting

where San Mateo County sheriff's deputies have been since 12:22 this afternoon, shortly after they responded to a report of shots fired upon arrival, officers located four deceased victims with stab wounds. gunshot a fifth victim who also suffered a gunshot wound was transported to Stanford Medical Center with life-threatening injuries a short time later three additional victims were found shot to death in the 2100 block of Cabrillo Highway South both crime scenes were Operations Investigators mushroom farms soon named Zhao Chun Li, 67, who was believed to have worked on one of the farms, as a suspect in all of the shootings.

NBC Bay Area News has learned that Zhao first shot three of his victims in the trailers where they lived next to the field where they worked and then shot two others

dead

in the field itself there were farm workers affected tonight there were children on the scene at the incidents this is a truly heartbreaking tragedy in our community as the suspect showed up two and a

half

hours after the first shooting in a very unlikely location he was located in his vehicle in the parking lot of the sheriff's substation here in Half Moon Bay by a sheriff's deputy ranger was on the scene when Xiao was discovered by deputies and arrested without resistance, without drama, we also have ground video of the takedown.

Sheriff Corpus says Xiao probably went to the sheriff's substation to surrender, but he never made the effort to do so. Officers say they found a semi-automatic handgun inside that maroon pickup truck. The woman saw the arrest. It was shocking and I was glad that incident happened. I was very impressed with the way the officers told us tonight. It seems that Xiao acted alone and is cooperating. Plus, he probably has a wife. It's something we can see on the news, we never think about, they're just going to come and hit the target, of course the million dollar question is what was the reason.

Well, the suspect worked on the mushroom farms where everyone was shot. Everyone involved is Chinese. -American, but the official answer to what the motive was they don't know yet they live in Half Moon Bay Terry McSweeney NBC Bay Area News okay Terry, thanks, we've been there for a long time Terry reporting and he said the FBI agents are Now also on the site, thanks Terry, yes, and many details are emerging and changing. It has been a painful and terrifying night for dozens of farmworkers and children now sleeping in a reunification center that is just miles from where those murders took place.

NBC Carrier Stephanie Magillion is at Ides Hall where those people are staying and Stephanie, I know you talked to some of the families that witnessed the shooting. Yeah, Jess, so one of the farmworkers I talked to was walking to this reunification center with his wife. and several kids, he said he saw one of the shootings, he actually said he knew the suspect, they worked together on one of these farms. Now I can tell you that as I was talking to this man, I could see him shaking, he was just shaking. Throughout our conversation, his family is one of several who will now spend the night here because their home is now a crime scene and they were forced to leave their homes due to a

mass

shooting tonight.

These families are seeking shelter and learning what their friends and co-workers are saying. or relatives did not manage to leave, this man tells us that one of the eight victims was like a brother to him, Marciano Martínez called him and he showed up at this Reunification Center to learn more about his condition but he left with more questions and answers to others were seen leaving here crying, at one point an ambulance stopped to take a patient from inside the Half Moon Bay Portuguese Hall, it seems there is a family member there who might have lost a family member in one of the shootings, so we can I hear a lot of crying, it's heartbreaking.

Lizette Díaz is, unfortunately, her organization has been leaving clothes, food and blankets. She says there are about 13 children and 40 adults in need, many of them distraught and searching for answers. I can't imagine what those children witnessed. Today, many as residents shared the pain after residents showed up with bags full of goodies and piles of blankets, anything to offer a little comfort to the survivors here tonight. Oh there are many tragedies plaguing the next country right now, more mass shootings than the number of days in the month and coming to our small town it is very shocking now the farm worker I spoke to says about 25 people lived in the ranch that is now a crime scene and believes that two of the victims were Latino and the rest were of Asian descent.

He was telling me that after tonight maybe they would have to stay in a hotel. That situation is not very clear, but not long ago I saw a van come and pick up several families from the Reunification Center where it appeared to be. a non-profit organization so they may be moving as of tonight right now, as you can see there is not a lot of traffic with people coming and going, however the organizations are still asking for those who can Let them come and leave blankets and clothes. I'm specifically ordering live hot food in Half Moon Bay.

I'm Stephanie Magayon NBC Bay Area News