A year after deadly mass shooting, farmworker conditions top priority for San Mateo County
HALF MOON BAY, Calif. - Nearly a year ago, seven people were gunned down in Half Moon Bay by a disgruntled farmworker. The incident left the community devastated, and on Sunday night they gathered to honor the lives lost.
Dozens of people gathered at the Boys and Girls Club in Half Moon Bay to remember the shooting victims who were killed last year. An employee shot and killed seven farmworkers at two locations. The shooting is one of the deadliest mass shootings in San Mateo County history.
"The children that were actually present when it happened, I don’t know. When we talk about healing completely, maybe never. This is going to take time, but what we can do, is we can change the way farmworkers live," said Joaquin Jimenez-Urena, Half Moon Bay's mayor.
The shooting also exposed the poor living conditions of farmworkers in Half Moon Bay. The mayor says he and others had been sounding the alarm about the lack of farmworker housing for years. Now county officials say they’re building new affordable housing and will continue to help rebuild the lives of local farmworkers.
"We have a housing development in Half Moon Bay where the first 18 of those homes will be made available to your families. Forty-six will be built and that’s just the beginning. We purchased more land to build more to honor the memory of you and those you lost," said Ray Mueller, San Mateo County board supervisor District 3.
During the ceremony, there was music and words of encouragement from local officials, including U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, Sen. Josh Becker, and Assemblyman Marc Berman.
As the community prepared to go back to their lives after the deadly shooting, they stopped for a moment of silence to honor those they lost.
"There’s really not a lot to say except that the community still needs help, and we hope that all of us can come together to help more," said Virginia Chang Kiraly, San Mateo County Harbor District commissioner.
Jimenez-Urena also told KTVU that multiple agencies are now helping improve farmworkers' living and working conditions in Half Moon Bay and across the state.