Another Mass Casualty Shooting in California in Less Than 48 Hours

Last night, seven people were shot and killed in Half Moon Bay, California, approximately 25 miles south of San Francisco. 

This comes less than 48 hours after 10 people were killed at a Chinese Lunar New Year's party in Monterey Park near Los Angeles. 

These two shootings have some remarkable similarities and differences.

In both shootings, the assailants were older Asian men and most of the victims were also Asian. However, the suspect in Monterey Park took his own life and his motive remains unknown. But the suspect in Half Moon Bay surrendered to authorities and this was evidently a case of workplace violence as he targeted his fellow farm workers. 

The shootings are similar in one other respect. Unlike other developed countries, mass shootings have become a feature of American life. As of this writing, there have been 39 mass shootings in the United States less than 25 days into 2023. Have there been that many mass shootings in the rest of the world combined thus far?  Well, we are in for a long year.