At least seven people were killed Monday afternoon in two related shootings in the city of Half Moon Bay, California, and one suspect is in custody, local authorities said.
Four of the victims were found at a mushroom farm and the other three were found at a trucking company, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Chairman Dave Pine confirmed in a statement posted on Facebook.
[Follow the latest on the massacre in Monterey Park: the death toll rises to 11]
Local authorities said they have a suspect in custody and identified him as
67-year-old Zhao Chunli.
Chunli was a "disgruntled employee" who worked for one of the companies, according to The Associated Press news agency.
The victims were Chinese farm workers, Half Moon Bay Councilwoman Debbie Ruddock said, according to NBC's San Francisco Bay Area television station.
Authorities at one of the two scenes of the shootings in Half Moon Bay, California. Jeff Chiu / AP
“The scourge of gun violence has sadly struck at home.
We haven't even had time to mourn those who died in the terrible Monterey Park shooting.
Gun violence must end," lamented Pine, who said the community is "shocked" by the tragedy.
The shootings occurred around 2:00 p.m. (local time).
"There is no longer a threat to the community
," the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said on Twitter around 5:00 p.m.
The office had earlier said in a statement that it was "responding to a mass shooting in the area of Highway 92 and the Half Moon Bay city limits."
Exclusive Video: The Moment A Young “Hero” Disarms A Suspect In The Monterey Park Massacre
Jan 24, 202301:36
“California has some of the strictest gun laws in the United States, which we have strengthened with local measures, but more must be done,” Pine insisted.
In just three days, California has been the scene of two mass shootings.
The first of these took place in a Los Angeles dance hall and left at least 11 dead.