How to help families impacted by Half Moon Bay mass shooting

HALF MOON BAY – An effort is underway to raise funds for the 40 families affected by Monday’s deadly mass shooting in Half Moon Bay.

Organized by Farmworker Caravan founder Darlene Tenes, the Half Moon Bay Farmworker Shooting & Flood Victims GoFundMe aims to raise at least $40,000.

The fundraiser has been verified and all funds donated will go directly to the San Jose Parks Foundation for emergency services to support the families, as well as the hundreds of farmworker families who have lost everything and have no work because of recently flooded fields, GoFundMe spokesperson Nicole Santos said in an email.

“The agricultural community is always under a tremendous amount of daily stress before this tragedy and the recent floods have added another level of anxiety with untold consequences at this point,” Tenes wrote in a description of the GoFundMe.

In December, the Farmworker Caravan delivered thousands of tamales and Christmas stockings to farmworkers in Half Moon Bay. Tenes said one of its first stops was the Mountain Mushroom Farm, where four people were found shot to death Monday. Three others were found shot to death three miles away at Concord Farms.

An eighth person survived the shooting and was taken to Stanford Medical Center for treatment.

Chunli Zhao, 66, of Half Moon Bay, was arrested in connection with the shootings just hours after they occurred. On Tuesday, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said he expects to file seven counts of murder and one count of attempted murder against Zhao, as well as other gun and special circumstances charges.

Zhao worked at Mountain Mushroom Farm and authorities have labeled the shooting an act of “workplace violence.”

HOW TO DONATE

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/half-moon-bay-farmworker-shooting-flood-victims or send checks to the San Jose Parks Foundation c/o Farmworker Caravan, P.O. Box 53841, San Jose CA 95153.