REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — The man accused of gunning down seven migrant farmworkers last month during a shooting spree at two mushroom farms in the coastal hamlet of Half Moon Bay pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a slew of murder charges.
Chunli Zhao, 66, showed little emotion while denying the charges against him in the Jan. 23 attack, which ranks as the deadliest mass shooting in San Mateo County’s history.
Appearing behind a glass in the courtroom, wearing a red jail jumpsuit with his head bowed, Zhao appeared far less demonstrative than he did at his least hearing. At the Feb. 10 proceeding, Zhao sobbed openly in court while a judge imposed a gag order barring attorneys from speaking to the press. His wails were so loud during that hearing that the judge called for a brief recess.
