Half Moon Bay, California – The aftermath of a tragic shooting that claimed the lives of seven farmworkers last year in Half Moon Bay has led to a legal battle for justice. The family of one of the slain workers, Jose, who lost his life in the mass shooting, along with his brother Pedro Felix Romero Perez, who survived being shot five times, is now seeking accountability from the owner of the mushroom farms where the horrifying incident took place.
In a recent development, the family’s attorneys have taken legal action against Xianmin Guan of California Terra Garden, Inc., alleging that the farm did not implement adequate measures to protect its workers from potential violent acts by third parties. The lawsuits also highlight the shooter, Chunli Zhao’s, history of violence and a previous shooting incident on the property in July 2022.
Reports indicate that Zhao, a former employee at the farms, committed the heinous act by killing four workers and injuring a fifth at California Terra Garden before moving on to another farm a few miles away where he took the lives of three more workers. According to the attorneys representing the brothers’ family, California Terra Garden lacked a proper safety plan to shield its workers from violence, ultimately leading to the tragic loss of lives.
Nabilah Hossain, an attorney involved in the case, criticized California Terra Garden for allegedly prioritizing profit over the safety and wellbeing of its workers. Hossain emphasized the resilience of immigrant workers like Pedro and Jose, who faced challenging working and living conditions, and accused the farm of failing to fulfill its responsibility to protect them as essential workers.
In response to this legal action, the family’s attorneys have scheduled a press conference to discuss the lawsuits at 604 Main St., Suite G in Half Moon Bay on Friday at 11 a.m. This marks a crucial step in their pursuit of justice and accountability for the victims of the tragic shooting that shook the Half Moon Bay community.