Half Moon Bay, California – Two lawsuits have been filed against a mushroom farm in Half Moon Bay, accusing the employer of failing to protect workers from a gunman in 2023, resulting in a deadly mass shooting. Chunli Zhao, 67, has been charged with the deaths of seven people at California Terra Garden and Concord Farm. The lawsuits allege that the rampage was triggered after Zhao was told to pay $100 to fix a damaged forklift.
Prosecutors have alleged that the owner of California Terra Garden, Xianmin Guan, not only provided inadequate housing to workers but also failed to protect them from a co-worker with a violent past. One lawsuit, filed by attorney Duffy Magilligan on behalf of Pedro Felix Romero Perez, a survivor of the rampage, claims that there were warning signs of the shooter’s violent history that were ignored by the employer.
Pedro Felix Romero Perez, along with his brother Jose Romero Perez, had been living and working at California Terra Garden. The elder Perez had migrated from Oaxaca, Mexico, to join his brother at the farm, leaving behind his wife and children. The lawsuits also highlight the substandard living conditions of the farmworkers, describing their makeshift homes.
The lawsuits mention a prior shooting incident at the farm, as well as Zhao’s documented violent history, including a restraining order filed against him in 2013. Despite this knowledge, the farm allegedly took no steps to ensure the safety of its workers. Magilligan states that Zhao first shot a farmworker at California Terra Garden before proceeding to target more individuals at Concord Farm, citing long-running grudges.
Following the mass shooting, Cal/OSHA cited the farm for numerous violations, including failing to establish procedures for identifying hazards posed by an active shooter. Magilligan emphasizes the duty of landowners to protect individuals on their property, highlighting the extent of negligence at the mushroom farm. Prosecutors continue to pursue the case against Zhao as the survivors and families of the victims seek accountability and justice for the tragic events that unfolded in Half Moon Bay.