House holds moment of silence honoring victims of Half Moon Bay shooting

The House held a moment of silence on Friday to honor the victims of the shooting this week in California.

Seven people were killed and another was injured on Monday after a gunman opened fire at two mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay, California.

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), whose district includes Half Moon Bay, led Friday’s moment of silence while surrounded by other members of the California delegation. Lawmakers held a sign that listed the names of the victims.

Members in the chamber stood in silence for roughly 30 seconds.

“Seven lives, my colleagues, seven precious lives,” Eshoo said, “in a community that is as all-American as can be.”

The congresswoman went on to decry the rise in mass shootings in America. The Half Moon Bay massacre came days after a gunman opened fire in Monterey Park, California, killing 11 people.

“We always come to the floor. Thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers. My thoughts are, I don’t think we’re safe anywhere anymore,” Eshoo said. “Churches, schools, community centers. Now at nurseries where agricultural workers work. Dance rooms, restaurants, schools.”

“I believe sincerely, number one, in prayer. And so my prayer today is that there will be a collective examination of conscience in the Congress because we have a responsibility in this. We all do, regardless of party. This is a matter of conscience. It’s a moral issue. When the number one cause of death of children in our nation is from gun violence, we have to stop and examine our conscience,” she added.

The California Democrat continued, saying on the House floor “we say home of the brave, land of the free. My prayer today is that we will be the home of the safe.”

She then read the names of the seven victims.

According to NBC Bay Area, the suspect in the massacre — Chunli Zhao, 66 — admitted to carrying out the shootings during an interview at a jailhouse, claiming he was often bullied.

Zhao worked at one of the farms where he fatally opened fire. On Monday, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said “all of the evidence we have points to this being the instance of workplace violence.”

Eshoo on Friday said the shooting was “intentional” and “targeted,” adding “it was execution.”

“It was Monday that one individual went to a nursery, actually where he worked. He knew exactly who he was pursuing. It was intentional, it was targeted, it was execution,” she said.

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