Gun laws a ‘suicide pact’, says governor as California suffers third mass shooting

In a separate incident on Monday evening, one person was killed and seven wounded in a “shooting between several individuals” in Oakland.

Mr Newsom was at a hospital meeting victims of the first mass shooting when he was pulled away to be briefed about the second.

“Tragedy upon tragedy,” he tweeted. He later told CBS: “Nothing about this is surprising. Everything about this is infuriating. The Second Amendment is becoming a suicide pact.”

Mr Newsom, a likely presidential candidate if Joe Biden does not run again, said he has “no ideological opposition” to people who “responsibly” own guns but that existing regulations are falling short.

On Monday, emergency responders were called to two farms in San Mateo County, south of San Francisco. Four people were found dead at one of them, while three more fatally wounded victims were found at a second location.

Sheriff Christina Corpus said 67-year-old Chunli Zhao was arrested shortly afterwards in a dramatic capture filmed by television crews in the farming region of Half Moon Bay.

That incident took place 48 hours after 72-year-old Huu Can Tran shot dead 11 people gathered for Lunar New Year at a dance hall in Monterey Park. He then drove to a second dance hall nearby, but was tackled and disarmed by an employee. He fled the scene and took his own life shortly afterwards.

The family of one of his victims, My Nhan (65) said the tragedy was “still sinking in”.

“She spent so many years going to the dance studio on weekends,” they said. “It’s what she loved to do. But unfairly, Saturday was her last dance.”

Yesterday, Mr Biden said: “Even as we await further details on these shootings, we know the scourge of gun violence requires stronger action. I once again urge both chambers of Congress to act quickly and deliver this assault weapons ban to my desk, and take action to keep American communities safe.”

The third California shooting unfolded just after 6pm on Monday at a Valera gas station along Seminary Avenue and Macarthur Boulevard, according to the Oakland Police Department (OPD).
When officers arrived at the gas station, there were no victims in sight – but shell casings left behind indicated what had unfolded. Multiple victims suffering gunshot wounds had already self-transported to several area hospitals, OPD said.

“Upon arrival, [officers] located the shooting scene, they located casings, but no victims,” said OPD’s Kim Armstead in a press conference on Monday night.

“Shortly thereafter, our communications division received notification of multiple gunshot wound victims, who self-transported to local hospitals.”

At least eight people were shot in the incident, with one victim – identified by his family as 18-year-old Mario Navarro – killed. The seven others were in stable condition and are expected to survive.

Police have not confirmed what may have led up to the shooting but said that the investigation so far shows several people may have exchanged gunfire. Witnesses told local outlet KTVU that the shooting broke out during the filming of a music video.

Family members of the teenage victim were seen breaking down outside Highland Hospital after learning that Mr Navarro – who recently graduated from high school – had died. (© Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2023)