The tragic tale of the Half Moon Bay farm mass shooting is finding a new chapter in the courts, as families of victims take aim at the California Terra Gardens farm. The farm now faces a lawsuit alleging negligence in protecting its workers from what unfolded as the deadliest massacre in San Mateo County's history. According to SFist, the surviving brother, Pedro Felix Romero Perez, and his family are accusing the farm of a "failure to protect" against a foreseeably violent coworker responsible for the mass shooting that claimed the life of his brother, Jose Romero Perez.
It was on January 23, 2023, when Chunli Zhao, who pleaded not guilty to the rampage, decided to violently open fire at his coworkers, effectively to take seven lives, severely wounding Pedro in the process. Having just completed their shifts, the Perez brothers were attacked in the very place they should have felt safe—their shared trailer on the farm. In details obtained by Mercury News, the lawsuit points a damning finger at Xianmin Guan, the farm owner, for failing to seriously take previous violent incidents to heart, and for not taking measures to prevent such a brutal outburst.
Pedro, left unable to work after undergoing three surgeries, and the family of the late Jose, who left behind a devastated wife, are demanding unspecified damages for their economic and emotional suffering. Represented by Cotchett, Pitre and McCarthy, LLP, they argue that the farm "could have prevented this tragedy," drawing attention to deplorable living conditions and a disregard for employee safety. Besides sleeping in trailers unfit for habitation, SFist reports that California Terra Gardens was previously fined $126,000, further reflecting their dilapidated regard for worker welfare.
More so, the lawsuit paints a picture of missed opportunities for prevention, pointing out Guan's knowledge of Zhao's violent history, a factor which should have heightened the urgency to secure the premises. According to SFist, in 2013, Zhao had made threats violent enough to have warranted a restraining order, adding a layer of foreseeable risk to a property already tarnished by incidents such as a manager who had previously fired a gun on the property. With such a grim track record, it is argued that Guan "had the means and ability to protect Jose and others," yet failed to adequately act.
As legal proceedings advance, the tragedy of Half Moon Bay remains in the spotlight, underlining the deeper societal issue of worker protection and the responsibilities held by those who profit from their labor. The families and their legal team are set to continue their quest for answers and justice in San Mateo County courts. California Terra Garden has yet to publicly respond to the suit's allegations.
