California governor Gavin Newsom lamented “tragedy after tragedy” after seven people were killed in the second US mass shooting in the state in three days.
Mr Newsom, a rising star of the Democratic Party and predicted to become president, said he felt the Second Amendment had “become a suicide pact” after seven Chinese workers were shot dead at a farm and a shipping company in northern California on Monday. .
The shooting came after 11 people, mostly Chinese elders, were killed at a Lunar New Year festival in Monterey Park in southern California on Saturday.
Authorities described Saturday’s attack as the deadliest mass shooting in Los Angeles County history.
“This Second Amendment turns into a suicide pact, it seems,” said Mr Newsom.
“California is 37 percent lower than the death rate for the rest of the country, and yet, despite all this evidence, nobody on the other end seems to care. I can’t get Congress to do anything.”
The governor said he was at a hospital meeting with the victims of the shooting in Monterey Park when he was briefed about the second shooting at Half Moon Bay. “Tragedy after tragedy,” he said.
Zhao Chunli, a 67-year-old gunman from Half Moon Bay, was detained shortly after he was found sitting in his vehicle parked in front of a sheriff’s station, which authorities say they believe is coming to hand him over. inside.
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said at an evening press conference that a semi-automatic pistol was found in her car.
Corpus said the suspect, who “cooperated fully” with investigators after his arrest, was working at one of the two crime scenes.
He described the areas as agricultural “nurseries” where some workers also lived. Local media reported that a site was a mushroom farm.
The cause of the shooting is being investigated.
Officials in Half Moon Bay were saddened by the new violence Monday afternoon.
“Two hours ago, I joined my colleagues on the Capitol steps to hold a vigil for the victims of the Monterey Park shooting,” said Marc Berman, a California congressman.
“Without even a chance to mourn their loss, there is another mass shooting, this time in Half Moon Bay. In my area.”
The last two shootings were also notable for the age of the suspects; one was in his late 60’s and the other in his early 70’s.
The new footage shows a man trying to get away from the suspect who shot him in Monterey Park with a gun.
In the video from NBC news, Brandon Tsay is seen taking the gun from the suspect and pointing it at him.
“At one point I pulled the gun from him, pointed it at him, intimidated, shouted and said get out of here. I’m going to shoot. Get out of here,” he said. interview.
Elsewhere Monday night, one person was killed and seven others injured in a gunfight at a gas station in Oakland in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Police gave few details, but said that all of the surviving victims had taken themselves to hospitals in the area.
The clash took place just hours after the gunfight in Half Moon Bay and no arrests have been made so far.