Less than 72 hours after the shooting that left 11 dead in Monterey Bay, Southern California, another shooting occurred in the northern part of the state, in the city of Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County, near San Francisco. This time, seven people were killed. The suspect in the attack is in custody.
On Monday afternoon (23), shootings took place at two different locations. The first was at a mushroom farm where four people were killed. The second occurred at another agricultural facility about three kilometers away from the first, where three more people were killed.
Upon arriving at the scene of the first shooting, police also found one injured person who was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition.
The alleged shooter, identified as Zhao Chunli, 67, from Half Moon Bay, was found in his car in a parking lot and was taken by authorities without incident. A firearm was found in his vehicle. Police stated that he acted alone and the motive for the crime is still unknown.
The President of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Dave Pine, said, “Gun violence must stop.”
“We are appalled by today’s tragedy in Half Moon Bay. The scourge of gun violence has unfortunately reached our home. We didn’t even have time to mourn those who died in the terrible shooting in Monterey Park. Gun violence must stop. The State of California has some of the strictest gun laws in the United States, which we have strengthened through local actions here, but more must be done. The status quo cannot be tolerated,” he said in a statement.
The suspects in both attacks are older Asian men, whose age and ethnicity are rare in mass shootings. The victims were Asian and Asian American, many still celebrating the Lunar New Year.
2023 begins with a frightening number of mass shootings
The two attacks were not the only mass shootings California has suffered recently. Just over a week ago, six people were shot dead in Tulare County, Central California. These victims included a 16-year-old girl and her 10-month-old baby.
There have been 39 mass shootings in the United States so far this year – the highest number ever recorded in a period of less than a month, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). At least 69 people have been killed in these shootings.
The number of mass shootings increased in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and has persisted since then. Between 2019 and 2020, the total number of mass shootings jumped from 417 to 610. In 2021, the worst year ever recorded by the GVA (since 2012), there were 690 shootings in 44 states and Washington, DC. The year 2022 had 647 mass shootings.
Americans are armed like few
A 2015 study linked the country’s high rate of mass shootings to the high rate of gun ownership. Americans make up about 5% of the global population and own 42% of the world’s guns, according to the study.
There are about 393 million privately owned firearms in the U.S., according to an estimate from the Small Arms Survey based in Switzerland. That’s 120 guns for every 100 Americans.
While the exact number of firearms owned by civilians is difficult to calculate due to a variety of factors – including unregistered guns and illegal trade – no other nation has more civilian guns than people.
About 45% of American adults say they live in a household with a gun, according to a Gallup poll from October 2022.
It certainly doesn’t have to be this way. Countries that have introduced laws to reduce firearm-related deaths have achieved significant changes.
But America’s gun culture is a global exception. For now, the deadly cycle of violence seems destined to continue and perhaps set records this year.