As more details emerged of the tragic shooting in Half Moon Bay that left seven farmworkers dead, including several Latino victims, the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union issued an official statement early Tuesday.
“The mass shooting spree that has left 7 farm workers dead in California leaves us heartbroken, angry, and demanding answers,” read the statement opening. “ As we wait for more news, the entire UFW mourns the loss of 7 farm workers. While we did not know them, they were part of the too often invisible, yet always essential, agricultural workforce that feeds America and the world.”
According to multiple news reports, 66-year-old Chunli Zhao used a legally purchased semiautomatic handgun to shoot seven men and one woman on Monday afternoon. The mass shooting spree occurred at two separate agriculture facilities in Half Moon Bay, a small coastal city located about 45 minutes south of San Francisco.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department reported that the eight victims were of Latino and Asian descent. One shooting victim survived and was reported in stable condition.
San Mateo County officials were still working on identifying victims and notifying next of kin. This was difficult in some instances, as some of the victims were migrant workers.
Read the full UFW statement below:
“The mass shooting spree that has left 7 farm workers dead in California leaves us heartbroken, angry, and demanding answers. As we wait for more news, the entire UFW mourns the loss of 7 farm workers. While we did not know them, they were part of the too often invisible, yet always essential, agricultural workforce that feeds America and the world. As farm workers, and as human beings, they deserved far better.
We dream of a nation in which all farm workers – regardless of their ethnicity or national origin – are treated with dignity, in which our streets no longer bear bloodshed after bloodshed, and in which our hearts have a moment to heal in between breaking.“
