Half Moon Bay remembers farmworkers killed on third anniversary of mass shootings

Half Moon Bay mass shooting: Sole survivor lost brother 3 years ago

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. - On the third anniversary of the Half Moon Bay farmworker mass shootings, the city created a memorial downtown with flowers, origami cranes for peace, and messages of support and healing from the community.

Julissa Acosta with the City of Half Moon Bay says they wanted to honor and remember the seven farmworkers who lost their lives when a co-worker opened fire January 23, 2023.

Shooting survivor speaks

What they're saying:

The only survivor from that mass shooting, Pedro Romero Perez, shared his thoughts about how that day three years ago changed his life. He lost his brother.

"Fue un segundo que cambio mi vida. Y pues perdi a mi carnal y pues es lo que me duele mucho," Romero Perez said, which in translation says, "It was just one second that changed my life. I lost my brother and that's what hurts the most."

Perez's brother Jose Romero Perez, 38, was one of the seven victims killed that day at the Concord Farms and California Terra Gardens work sites.

The loss of those victims, two Latino and five Chinese farmworkers, were honored at a private gathering for families. Their names, remembered by those who survived and continue to work for change: Yetao Bing (43), Qizhong Cheng (66), Jingzhi Lu (64), Zhishen Liu (73), Aixiang Zhang (74), Marciano Martinez Jimenez (50), and Jose Romero Perez (38).

The tragedy has put a spotlight on the often dire working conditions and mental health of many farmworkers in the Bay Area, and prompted action by the city, San Mateo County and non-profits to help other farmworkers find a better, peaceful future."That wound is so fresh and the memories that we have of them is so painful...there's still so much loss and grief,"

Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, the CEO and founder of the non-profit ALAS, said. ALAS has been working to provide farmworkers with mental health services, food, housing and healing through the arts, over the past three years.

"You know, during this journey of healing through mental health practices, music, cultural arts as a healing, ALAS is very known to be able to engage our culture as a strength and bring people together,"Sandra Sencion, ALAS Farmworker Program Director, said.

New farmworker housing

Dig deeper:

The city and San Mateo County have also partnered in creating 46 new houses for the survivors and farmworker families.

"Pues ahora estamos alla, en nuevas casas, pues gracias a Dios ellos nos apoyaron, el Condado y todo," Romero Perez said, which in English translation says, "Now we are in new homes. Thank God the county helped us."

"We're about 90% occupancy, and we hope to be fully occupied by the end of February," Acosta said. "Twelve families opted to move in there that were initially displaced from the shooting."

San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, who participated in the evening memorial with families, said he hopes the county will replicate the housing program elsewhere.

"With this development, what we did was we worked with the state to pilot a program, whereby farmworkers will actually be able to buy that housing and build equity," Mueller said.

The city also hopes to create a permanent memorial for the farmworkers if they are able to finalize a plan and secure funding for the project, which is estimated to cost upwards of $330,000.

Mass Shootings Half Moon Bay