On January 23, 2023, a mass shooting at two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms—California Terra Garden and Concord Farms—killed seven farmworkers, including 38-year-old José Romero Pérez. José had emigrated from Oaxaca, Mexico, to Half Moon Bay less than two years earlier to provide for his wife and children. The assailant, 66-year-old employee Chunli Zhao, was arrested after the attack and charged with seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.

José’s younger brother, 23-year-old Pedro Félix Romero Pérez, was present and survived after being shot five times; he later filed a lawsuit against the farm owners alleging they failed to protect workers. Reports link the shooter’s actions to workplace grievances and feelings of being disrespected by co-workers. The killings have drawn attention to the vulnerabilities of migrant farmworkers, including poor housing and fear of reporting problems.

Does anyone have information about José’s life in Half Moon Bay or about working conditions at these farms that could shed light on what happened?