Half Moon Bay shooting suspect Chunli Zhao sobs in court during hearing on media access
REDWOOD CITY -- A judge on Friday barred attorneys from talking to the press about the criminal case of a farmworker accused of killing seven people last month in back-to-back shootings at two San Mateo County mushroom farms.
San Mateo County Judge Elizabeth K. Lee on Friday issued a gag order prohibiting prosecuting and defense attorneys, as well as the alleged killer and the county Sheriff's Office, from talking to reporters about the facts of the case or sharing opinions about what happened. They can still discuss rulings that were made in open court and the procedural status of upcoming hearings.
Earlier, the judge granted a request from defense attorneys to restrict remote access to court records.
Accused Half Moon Bay killer Chunli Zhao sobbed quietly as the judge considered issuing the gag order and other media restrictions.
Wearing a mask and dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit, Zhao rode an emotional rollercoaster as he sat next to and spoke with defense attorney Jonathan McDougall during a morning hearing that was continued into the late afternoon.
At one point, San Mateo County Judge Elizabeth K. Lee allowed for a break in the proceedings.
McDougall is seeking strict restrictions on media access to Zhao, the release and reporting of court documents that may make it difficult to seat an impartial jury and limits to the public statements made to the press by San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Since the Jan. 23 mass shooting, Wagstaffe has confirmed to local media that Zhao had told investigators he was angry over being asked to pay $100 to cover the cost of the damage to a forklift.
"Mr. Wagstaffe has confirmed information to the press from a law enforcement investigation, a disclosure of factual information," McDougall told the judge. "This is all information that had not even been disclosed to the bench yet and is now being articulated by Mr Wagstaffe to the press."
HALF MOON BAY MASS SHOOTING
- Half Moon Bay farm says new housing to be built for workers in wake of mass shooting
- Report: Half Moon Bay shooting suspect angered by bill from on-site accident
- Half Moon Bay vigil marks start of community's recovery from mass shooting
- Mass shooting was 2nd gun attack at same Half Moon Bay mushroom farm in 7 months
- Half Moon Bay mass shooting: Suspect charged with 7 counts of murder; Victims identified
Zhao was being held on seven counts of murder and one of attempted murder for the shooting spree which targeted coworkers at two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms.
He has yet to be formally charged or enter a plea.
Zhao was an employee at the formerly-named Mountain Mushroom Farm, now in operation as California Terra Garden, where four people were shot dead. He had previously worked at Concord Farms, the second shooting location, where authorities said he allegedly killed three people.
The victims who died have been identified as Yetao Bing, 43, Zhishen Liu, 73, Aixiang Zhang, 74, Qizhong Cheng, 66, Jingzhi Lu, 64, Marciano Martinez Jimenez, 50, and Jose Romero Perez, 38. An eighth victim, Pedro Romero Perez, was critically injured but survived the shooting.
