By Bay City New / January 23, 2024 (San Jose Inside)

Scene of mass murders in Half Moon Bay in early 2023. File photo

On the eve of the first anniversary of the mass shooting in Half Moon Bay last year, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office announced the indictment of suspect Chunli Zhao on Monday.

A criminal grand jury returned the indictment of Zhao on Friday, charging him with seven counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted first degree murder, prosecutors said.

The Jan. 23, 2023 shooting at two farms killed seven people and injured one. Those who died were Yetao Bing, 43, Qizhong Cheng, 66, Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, Jingzhi Lu, 64, Zhishen Liu, 73, Jose Romero Perez, 30s, and Aixiang Zhang, 74.

Zhao, 68, was located in his vehicle in the parking lot of a police substation in Half Moon Bay that same day at 4:40 p.m. and was arrested without incident, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were first dispatched at 2:22 p.m. to the 12700 block of San Mateo Road to a plant nursery on a report of a shooting with multiple victims in unincorporated Half Moon Bay.

Upon arrival, officers found four people dead from gunshot wounds and a fifth person was transported to a hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Three additional gunshot victims were subsequently found dead in the 2100 block of Cabrillo Highway South at another grow site.

Zhao is also charged with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murder, prosecutors said. He was arraigned Tuesday in San Mateo Superior Court.