Half Moon Bay Mass Shooting Suspect Not A Monterey Park 'Copycat': DA

REDWOOD CITY, CA — In the immediate aftermath of Monday’s Half Moon Bay mass shooting, cable TV legal experts along with amateur sleuths speculated that the deadliest such incident in San Mateo County history was likely a Monterey Park "copycat."

Just two days before a disgruntled farm worker killed seven people and critically injured another in the Peninsula coast, according to law enforcement officials, a gunman opened fire at a dance hall in Los Angeles County, killing 11.

Chunli Zhao, 66, is facing seven counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with the Half Moon Bay shooting, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. Zhao is being held without bail.

If convicted, he faces life without parole, or the death penalty. Zhao made his first court appearance Wednesday but did not issue a plea. His arraignment was continued to Feb. 16.

The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office on Wednesday identified six of the seven Half Moon Bay fatalities as Yetao Bing, 43 (unknown residence), Qizhong Cheng, 66 of Half Moon Bay, Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50 (Moss Beach), Jingzhi Lu, 64 (Half Moon Bay), Zhishen Liu, 73 (San Francisco), and Aixiang Zhang, 74 (San Francisco).

Jose Romero Perez, a man his late 30s, has been identified as the seventh victim by The Mercury News.

Huu Can Tran, 72 of Hemet, the suspect in the Monterey Park shooting, was found dead in a cargo van after turning a gun on himself as authorities closed in on him, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

The cases are hauntingly similar; both involve elderly suspects of Asian descent who opened fire on victims mostly of Asian descent (including all 11 Monterey Park shooting victims) around the time of the traditionally festive Lunar New Year celebrations.

Both investigations happen to be conducted under newly elected Sheriffs (Christina Corpus in San Mateo County and Luna).

On Wednesday, San Mateo County’s top prosecutor threw a wet blanket on the notion that Zhao took inspiration from the Monterey Park shooting suspect.

Asked if he thought the Half Moon Bay case was a copycat crime, Wagstaffe said: “We believe the answer is no to that.”

“Not simply ‘we are not sure,’" the only DA San Mateo County has had since 1977 said. "We believe the answer is no.”

Wagstaffe indicated that investigators may have determined a motive in the killings, but said his office was not prepared to make such findings public.

Zhao has been cooperative with Sheriff’s Office investigators, Wagstaffe said. Zhao did not request to have an attorney present during meetings with investigators. The interviews were conducted through an interpreter, and the DA’s office watched from outside the room.

Zhao appeared in court behind plexiglass wearing a red jumpsuit. He covered his face with a yellow document.

Attorneys Jonathan McDougall and Eric Hove were appointed by the court to represent him.

Wagstaffe indicated the decision whether to pursue the death penalty against Zhao won’t come anytime soon. He said input from the victims' families would be considered.

“Making that decision on the death penalty is something that will take place over the course of the next many, many months, as we have so much more to learn about this individual, about the victims and their families, and the harm that’s been inflicted.

“We have a long way to go before we make that decision.”

The seven killings in a single incident is the most San Mateo County is known to have ever experienced. The previous record was four (San Bruno, 2002).

“This one is in a category that is way beyond anything we’ve ever dealt with,” Wagstaffe said.

“I’m sorry that we have joined the list of counties around this country that have had to deal with this. I always hoped that that would not be something that would occur in my career, but now that it’s here, it’s step up and we’ll see that justice is done.”

Zhao used Ruger semi-automatic pistol in the shootings, Wagstaffe said. He said a note was found inside his career but declined to indicate what it said.

Zhao has lived in the United States for more than 10 years, Wagstaffe said. Zhao at one point was in the country legally, but his current status hasn’t been determined, Wagstaffe said, noting his office has requested information from federal authorities.

Wagstaffe indicated that defense attorneys may argue to request the trial be moved to another county, which he vehemently opposes.

“The defense attorneys have articulated to the court that they’re concerned about the publicity ... I am too,” Wagstaffe said.

“I want to make sure that for these crimes that occurred in San Mateo County, a San Mateo County jury gets to hear it. We don’t want to transfer it to another part of the state.”

Wagstaffe said all public comments on the case going forward will come exclusively through his office, “for the reason that we want to make sure the man gets a fair trial, the (victims') families get justice through a fair trial, and that the case gets tried here in the community in which it was committed.”