Suspect in custody after 7 people were shot dead in Half Moon Bay, California

At least seven people were killed and one seriously injured after a gunman opened fire at two different locations in northern California on Monday, officials said, in the latest mass shooting to hit the state in a matter of days.

The shootings took place at farm businesses on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay, a coastal town of about 11,000 about 30 miles south of San Francisco, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus told reporters.

The eighth victim was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, Corpus said.

The alleged gunman, identified by authorities as Chunli Zhao, 67, was arrested just hours after the first shooting, with video captured by NBC Bay Area showing him surrendering to authorities at a sheriff’s substation.

Zhao, a resident of Half Moon Bay, is believed to have worked in at least one of the targeted locations, Corpus said. “We know he acted alone at this point,” she said.

The motive for the mass shooting is still unclear, Corpus said.

The victims have not yet been identified. Corpus said they were believed to be workers at the two plant nurseries, but said that detail was yet to be confirmed.

People live in one or both of these locations, and Corpus said children were present when the shooting began.

“It was in the afternoon when the kids were out of school,” she said. “For kids to witness this – it’s indescribable.”

Officers were dispatched to the first location at 2:22 pm after a report of a shooting, Corpus said. They found four people dead in the business and one person with serious injuries, she said.