By AMY TAXIN, KEN RITTER and DEEPA BHARATH
LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. (AP) — A gunman motivated by political hatred in opposition to Taiwan chained shut the doorways of a California church and hid firebombs inside earlier than taking pictures at a gathering of largely aged Taiwanese parishioners, killing a person who tackled him and probably saved dozens of lives, authorities mentioned Monday.
David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas — a U.S. citizen who authorities say grew up in Taiwan — drove to Orange County on Saturday. The subsequent day, he attended a lunch held by Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which worships at Geneva Presbyterian Church locally of Laguna Woods. Although he knew nobody there, he spent about an hour mingling with about 40 attendees after which executed his plot, authorities mentioned at a information convention.
Authorities mentioned Chou chained the doorways and put tremendous glue within the keyholes. He had two 9 mm handguns — legally bought years in the past in Las Vegas — and three luggage, containing amongst different issues 4 Molotov-cocktail-type incendiary units and further ammunition. He opened fireplace and within the ensuing chaos Dr. John Cheng, 52, tackled him, permitting different parishioners to subdue him and tie him up with extension cords.
Cheng died and 5 individuals have been wounded, the oldest 92. Sheriff Don Barnes referred to as Cheng’s heroism “a gathering of fine versus evil” that in all probability saved the lives “of upwards of dozens of individuals.”
Chou, who for years labored as a safety guard, was booked on suspicion of homicide and tried homicide and jailed on $1 million bail. He was anticipated to look in state court docket Tuesday. It was not instantly clear whether or not he had an legal professional who might communicate on his behalf. A federal hate crimes investigation can also be ongoing.
There was no speedy phrase on why Chou selected to focus on the church in Laguna Woods, a scenic and prosperous coastal space whose inhabitants primarily consists of retirees.
Barnes mentioned the motive for the taking pictures was Chou’s hatred towards Taiwan that was documented in handwritten notes that authorities discovered. Chou’s household apparently was amongst many forcibly faraway from mainland China to Taiwan someday after 1948, Orange County District Lawyer Todd Spitzer mentioned.
Relations between mainlanders pressured to flee a Communist takeover and native Taiwanese have been often tense as the brand new arrivals crowded into slums and army communities. Separated by language and life-style, bullying and confrontation have been frequent as President Chiang Kai-shek tightly restricted civil liberties below almost 4 a long time of martial legislation.
The Presbyterian Church is probably the most outstanding of the Christian dominations in Taiwan and was carefully recognized with the pro-democracy motion throughout the martial legislation period and later with the Taiwan independence trigger.
Barnes referred to Chou as an immigrant from China however Taiwan’s Central Information Company says it interviewed Louis M. Huang, director common of the Taipei Financial and Cultural Workplace in Los Angeles, and he confirmed that Chou was born in Taiwan in 1953.
Barnes mentioned Chou acted alone and was “not believed to be related to any particular church or any faith, and there’s no direct connection to the church or any member of the church that we’re conscious of,” Barnes mentioned.
Balmore Orellana, a former neighbor, mentioned Chou’s life unraveled after his spouse left him final yr. Earlier than, Chou had been a pleasing man who used to personal the Las Vegas condo constructing the place he lived till being evicted in February, Orellana advised The Related Press.
Information confirmed the four-unit property was bought final October for slightly greater than $500,000. Orellana mentioned Chou’s spouse used the cash from the sale to maneuver to Taiwan.
Earlier than Orellana moved in about 5 years in the past, Chou obtained a head harm and different severe accidents in an assault by a tenant, the neighbor mentioned. Extra lately his psychological well being declined and final summer season a gun was fired inside Chou’s condo and the bullet entered Orellana’s condo, though no person was damage, Orellana mentioned.
Police stories concerning the assault and the taking pictures weren’t instantly obtainable Monday.
Tensions between China and Taiwan are on the highest in a long time, with Beijing stepping up its army harassment by flying fighter jets towards the self-governing island. China has not dominated out drive to reunify with Taiwan, which break up from the mainland throughout a civil struggle in 1949.
Taiwan’s chief consultant within the U.S., Bi-khim Hsiao, provided condolences to the taking pictures households on Twitter.
“I be part of the households of the victims and Taiwanese American communities in grief and pray for the speedy restoration of the wounded survivors,” Hsiao wrote on Sunday.
Chinese language Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu advised the AP by way of electronic mail that the Chinese language authorities has “persistently condemned incidents of violence. We specific our condolences to the victims and honest sympathy to the bereaved households and the injured.”
These wounded by gunshots included an 86-year-old lady in addition to 4 males, ages 66, 75, 82 and 92, the sheriff’s division mentioned. Authorities on Monday mentioned two of the wounded have been in good situation, two have been in steady situation and the standing of the fifth affected person was undetermined.
Jerry Chen, a longtime member of the church, mentioned a gaggle of about 40 congregants had gathered within the fellowship corridor for a luncheon after a morning service to welcome their former Pastor Billy Chang, a beloved and revered group member who had served the church for 20 years. Chang moved again to Taiwan two years in the past. This was his first time again stateside, Chen mentioned.
Everybody had simply completed lunch and have been taking pictures with Chang when Chen went into the kitchen. That’s when he heard the gunshots.
Barnes mentioned Cheng, a sports activities medication physician who’s survived by a spouse and two youngsters, charged on the shooter and tried to disarm him, permitting others to intervene. Chang hit the gunman on the pinnacle with a chair earlier than different parishioners subdued him.
“I’ll let you know that evil was in that church,” Spitzer mentioned, who added that Chou had “an absolute bias” in opposition to Taiwan and its individuals.
The taking pictures got here a day after an 18-year-old man shot and killed 10 individuals at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York in a racist rampage the place the white gunman allegedly focused a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood.
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This story has been corrected to indicate that Pastor Billy Chang has not retired.
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Ritter reported from Las Vegas. Bharath reported from Los Angeles. Related Press journalists Stefanie Dazio and John Antczak in Los Angeles and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this story. Information Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York.
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Related Press faith protection receives assist via the AP’s collaboration with The Dialog US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely liable for this content material.
