The man arrested for the shooting death of seven people on a farm and another business in Half Moon Bay (in San Francisco, California) worked on that farm, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus revealed on Tuesday.
The attack could thus be an act of "labor violence" of which members of the "migrant community" were victims, Corpus added.
The suspect has been identified as Chunli Zhao, 67;
he was arrested Monday after the massacre in a sheriff's office parking lot.
Six men and one woman were found dead at Mountain Mushroom Farm, according to the Sheriff's Office, which says they were employees and "may have been co-workers" of the alleged killer (who acted alone).
"All the evidence we have points to a case of
workplace violence,
" added the sheriff.
Some of the victims were
Latino immigrants
, she added, without disclosing their identities.
The shooter in San Francisco used a state-registered, legal semi-automatic pistol, according to California authorities.
Police tape at the scene of the shooting in Half Moon Bay. Jeff Chiu / AP
The killings occurred on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay, a city located 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of San Francisco.
Half Moon Bay Deputy Mayor Joaquin Jimenez said some workers lived at one of the facilities and there were children who may have witnessed the shooting.
"We're still trying to understand exactly what happened and why, it's incredibly tragic," said state Sen. Josh Becker, who represents the area, calling it a "close-knit" farming community.
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Half Moon Bay is a small seaside town with agricultural roots, home to about 12,000 people.
San Mateo County has a mix of coastal and hill towns dotted with farms, flower and tree nurseries, and ranches.
The county also allows the cultivation of cannabis in greenhouses and nurseries in some areas.
It is a majority white community;
about a third of the population is Latino and 5% is Asian, according to Census data.
“We are sickened by today's tragedy in Half Moon Bay,” San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine said.
“We haven't even had time to mourn those who died in the terrible shooting in Monterey Park, the gun violence must stop,” he added, referring to Sunday's massacre near Los Angeles.
Eleven people were killed in a shooting at a dance club in Monterey Park, casting a shadow over an important holiday for many Asian American communities.
Authorities are still looking for a motive for this shooting that occurred on Saturday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted: "I was at the hospital meeting with the victims of a mass shooting [in Monterey Park] when I was pulled aside to inform me of another shooting. This time in Half Moon Bay. Tragedy after tragedy." .
