Half Moon Bay Farmworker Indicted on Murder Charges

Chunli Zhao, accused of a mass shooting at two mushroom farms, faces seven counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder, advancing a case that has highlighted issues among the city’s farmworkers.

Chunli Zhao, the farmworker accused of killing seven people and injuring one in a mass shooting at two mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay, California, has been indicted by a grand jury on seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
The indictment comes one year after the incident and is an effort by prosecutors to advance the slow-moving legal case, bypassing the need for a preliminary hearing.
Zhao's arraignment on the grand jury charges has been continued until Feb. 29.
The shootings allegedly stemmed from a workplace dispute over a $100 equipment repair bill.
The incident exposed poor living conditions, mental health issues, and access to fair pay among the city’s farmworkers, prompting state and county officials to address these issues.