Authorities taping off the Geneva Presbyterian Church on May 15, 2022 in Laguna Woods, California.
In addition to identifying a heroic, slain victim and the man the suspected of killing him, authorities revealed the alleged motive behind a mass shooting that occurred Sunday in a church in Laguna Woods, California.
The shooter is a U.S. Citizen and an immigrant from China who was angry about the situation between his birth nation and Taiwan, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said in a press conference on Monday. Accordingly, the suspect allegedly targeted a church with Taiwanese congregants.
The lawman did not speak the suspect’s name, but his office identified the individual as David Chou, 68.
“It is believed the suspect involved was upset about political tensions between China and Taiwan,” Barnes told reporters.
The sheriff honored the slain victim—52-year-old sports medicine Dr. John Cheng—for charging the shooter.
“Without the actions of Dr. Cheng, it is no doubt that there’d be numerous additional victims in this crime,” the sheriff said.
Dr. John Cheng, the 52-yr-old man killed in the Laguna Woods shooting yesterday, had tried to disarm the gunman. Other parishioners were able to then hogtie the suspect. “W/o the actions of Dr. Chang, it is no doubt that there have been numerous additional victims in this crime.” pic.twitter.com/01Q4E2UCSI
— Josie Huang (@josie_huang) May 16, 2022
The shooting happened Sunday at the Geneva Presbyterian Church. The Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which uses the space for services, was holding a lunch banquet celebrating the return of one of their pastors, who had been out on a mission trip to Taiwan.
Chou drove to the church on Sunday, bringing two handguns and backup magazines with him, authorities said. He also allegedly placed Molotov cocktail-like incendiary devices throughout…