REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — A San Mateo County judge on Friday granted a motion from the lawyers for accused Half Moon Bay killer Chunli Zhao to restrict remote access to court records related to the case and impose a gag order barring attorneys from speaking to the press.
Zhao is charged with seven counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in the Jan. 23 mass shooting, which began at the Half Moon Bay mushroom farm where he lived and worked. On Friday, Zhao, cuffed and wearing a red jail jumpsuit, appeared despondent as he walked into the courtroom; he later cried and sobbed during proceedings, leading Judge San Mateo County Judge Elizabeth K. Lee to call for a brief recess.
Since the shooting, media from all over the world descended on the sleepy town of Half Moon Bay to cover the worst mass shooting in the county’s history. But on Friday, Lee barred the attorneys in the case from speaking to the media after Zhao’s defense raised concerns that San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe has revealed too much in earlier statements.
