{"id":1477010,"date":"2022-05-16T15:59:37","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T19:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1477010"},"modified":"2022-05-16T15:59:41","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T19:59:41","slug":"authorities-say-socal-church-attack-was-committed-by-chinese-immigrant-motivated-by-hate-for-the-taiwanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/authorities-say-socal-church-attack-was-committed-by-chinese-immigrant-motivated-by-hate-for-the-taiwanese\/","title":{"rendered":"Authorities Say SoCal Church Attack Was Committed by Chinese Immigrant Motivated by Hate for the Taiwanese"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fauthorities-say-socal-church-attack-was-committed-by-chinese-immigrant-motivated-by-hate-for-the-taiwanese%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1477010&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kubrick.htvapps.com\/htv-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/images\/poster-image-2022-05-16t122953-250-1652729402.jpg?crop=1.00xw:1.00xh;0,0&#038;resize=1200:*\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tThe gunman in a deadly attack at a Southern California church was a Chinese immigrant motivated by hatred for Taiwanese people, authorities said.The shooting killed Dr. John Cheng, 52, and five others were wounded in the attack, authorities said at a Monday news conference.Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said the motive of the shooting was a grievance between the shooter, identified as a Chinese immigrant, and the Taiwanese community. China claims Taiwan is a part of its national territory and has not ruled out force to bring the island under its rule.Barnes said the suspect drove to the Orange County church, where he was not a regular attendee, secured the doors and started shooting.Barnes said Cheng, survived by a wife and two children, heroically charged at the shooter and attempted to disarm him, allowing others to intervene. A pastor hit the gunman on the head with a chair and parishioners hog-tied him with electrical cords. But Barnes said Cheng was hit by gunshots.The Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Department tweeted that David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas has been booked on one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.Jerry Chen had just stepped into the kitchen of the church&#8217;s fellowship hall around 1:30 p.m. Sunday when he heard the gunshots.Chen, 72, a longtime member of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which worships at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, peeked around the corner and saw others screaming, running and ducking under tables.\u201cI knew someone was shooting,&#8221; he said. \u201cI was very, very scared. I ran out the kitchen door to call 911. \u201dOfficials said the shooting ended after the gunman killed one man and wounded five older people before worshippers hog-tied his legs with an electrical cord until deputies arrived. Four of the five people wounded suffered critical gunshot injuries; their conditions were not immediately available Monday morning.David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas has been booked on one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder, the Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Department tweeted. Jail records show Chou is being held on $1 million bail. It\u2019s not immediately known whether he has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf.The church was cordoned off Monday with yellow police tape and several bouquets of flowers were left outside the church grounds.But on Sunday afternoon, Chen said he was in such a state of shock that he was unable to tell the operator his location when he called 911 from the church\u2019s parking lot.\u201cI had to ask someone else for the address,\u201d he said.Chen said a group of about 40 congregants had gathered in the fellowship hall for a luncheon after a morning service to welcome their former Pastor Billy Chang, a beloved and respected community member who had served the church for 20 years. Chang moved back to Taiwan two years ago. This was his first time back stateside, Chen said.\u201cEveryone had just finished lunch,\u201d he said. \u201cThey were taking photos with Pastor Chang. I had just finished my lunch and went into the kitchen.&#8221;That was when he heard the gunshots and ran out.Soon afterward, Chen said he heard the details of what happened inside from others who came out. Fellow congregants told Chen that when the gunman stopped to reload, Chang hit him on the head with a chair while others moved quickly to grab his gun. They then subdued him and tied him up, Chen said.\u201cIt was amazing how brave (Chang) and the others were,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is just so sad. I never, ever thought something like this would happen in my church, in my community.\u201dMost of the church&#8217;s members are older, highly educated Taiwanese immigrants, Chen said.\u201cWe&#8217;re mostly retirees and the average age of our church is 80,\u201d he said.Orange County Undersheriff Jeff Hallock praised the parishioners&#8217; quick work to detain the gunman.\u201cThat group of churchgoers displayed what we believe is exceptional heroism and bravery in intervening to stop the suspect. They undoubtedly prevented additional injuries and fatalities,\u201d Hallock said. \u201cI think it\u2019s safe to say that had people not intervened, it could have been much worse.\u201dThe shooting came a day after an 18-year-old man shot and killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.As news of the shooting broke on the heels of the racist rampage in Buffalo \u2014 where the white gunman allegedly targeted a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood \u2014 fear spread that the Taiwanese congregation had also been targets of a hate crime.But when the shooter was identified as an Asian man, other questions arose as the investigation into the violence and the gunman\u2019s motive continues.The case is in its early stages, Hallock said. He said the many unanswered questions include whether the assailant attended the church service, if he was known to church members and how many shots were fired.Laguna Woods was built as a senior living community and later became a city. More than 80% of residents in the city of 18,000 people about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles are at least 65. The shooting was in an area with a cluster of houses of worship, including Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist churches and a Jewish synagogue.Those wounded by gunshots included four Asian men, ages 66, 75, 82 and 92, and an 86-year-old Asian woman, the sheriff\u2019s department said.It was not immediately clear whether all of the victims were of Taiwanese descent.Taiwan&#8217;s democratically elected government has long taken a hands-off approach to religion on the island, where most follow Buddhism and traditional Chinese beliefs, but where Christianity and other religions also thrive.Taiwan\u2019s chief representative in the U.S., Bi-khim Hsiao, offered condolences to the families on Twitter.\u201cI join the families of the victims and Taiwanese American communities in grief and pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded survivors,\u201d Hsiao wrote on Sunday.The deadliest shooting inside a U.S. church was in 2017 in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A gunman opened fire during a Sunday service at First Baptist Church and killed more than two dozen people.In 2015, Dylann Roof fired dozens of bullets during the closing prayer of a 2015 Bible study session at Charleston\u2019s Mother Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina. Nine members of the Black congregation were killed in the racist violence and Roof became the first person in the U.S. sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. His appeal remains before the Supreme Court.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong class=\"dateline\">LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. \u2014<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>The gunman in a deadly attack at a Southern California church was a Chinese immigrant motivated by hatred for Taiwanese people, authorities said.<\/p>\n<p>The shooting killed Dr. John Cheng, 52, and five others were wounded in the attack, authorities said at a Monday news conference.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content--body-wrapper-side-floater\">\n<div class=\"ad-rectangle\">\n<p>\n\t\t\tAdvertisement\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said the motive of the shooting was a grievance between the shooter, identified as a Chinese immigrant, and the Taiwanese community. China claims Taiwan is a part of its national territory and has not ruled out force to bring the island under its rule.<\/p>\n<p>Barnes said the suspect drove to the Orange County church, where he was not a regular attendee, secured the doors and started shooting.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tThis content is imported from Facebook.<br \/>\n\tYou may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.\n<\/p>\n<p>Barnes said Cheng, survived by a wife and two children, heroically charged at the shooter and attempted to disarm him, allowing others to intervene. A pastor hit the gunman on the head with a chair and parishioners hog-tied him with electrical cords. But Barnes said Cheng was hit by gunshots.<\/p>\n<p>The Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Department tweeted that David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas has been booked on one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.<\/p>\n<p>Jerry Chen had just stepped into the kitchen of the church&#8217;s fellowship hall around 1:30 p.m. Sunday when he heard the gunshots.<\/p>\n<p>Chen, 72, a longtime member of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which worships at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, peeked around the corner and saw others screaming, running and ducking under tables.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew someone was shooting,&#8221; he said. \u201cI was very, very scared. I ran out the kitchen door to call 911. \u201d<\/p>\n<p>Officials said the shooting ended after the gunman killed one man and wounded five older people before worshippers hog-tied his legs with an electrical cord until deputies arrived. Four of the five people wounded suffered critical gunshot injuries; their conditions were not immediately available Monday morning.<\/p>\n<p>David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas has been booked on one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder, the Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Department tweeted. Jail records show Chou is being held on $1 million bail. It\u2019s not immediately known whether he has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf.<\/p>\n<p>The church was cordoned off Monday with yellow police tape and several bouquets of flowers were left outside the church grounds.<\/p>\n<p>But on Sunday afternoon, Chen said he was in such a state of shock that he was unable to tell the operator his location when he called 911 from the church\u2019s parking lot.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had to ask someone else for the address,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Chen said a group of about 40 congregants had gathered in the fellowship hall for a luncheon after a morning service to welcome their former Pastor Billy Chang, a beloved and respected community member who had served the church for 20 years. Chang moved back to Taiwan two years ago. This was his first time back stateside, Chen said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone had just finished lunch,\u201d he said. \u201cThey were taking photos with Pastor Chang. I had just finished my lunch and went into the kitchen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>That was when he heard the gunshots and ran out.<\/p>\n<p>Soon afterward, Chen said he heard the details of what happened inside from others who came out. Fellow congregants told Chen that when the gunman stopped to reload, Chang hit him on the head with a chair while others moved quickly to grab his gun. They then subdued him and tied him up, Chen said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was amazing how brave (Chang) and the others were,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is just so sad. I never, ever thought something like this would happen in my church, in my community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most of the church&#8217;s members are older, highly educated Taiwanese immigrants, Chen said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re mostly retirees and the average age of our church is 80,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Orange County Undersheriff Jeff Hallock praised the parishioners&#8217; quick work to detain the gunman.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat group of churchgoers displayed what we believe is exceptional heroism and bravery in intervening to stop the suspect. They undoubtedly prevented additional injuries and fatalities,\u201d Hallock said. \u201cI think it\u2019s safe to say that had people not intervened, it could have been much worse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The shooting came a day after an 18-year-old man shot and killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.<\/p>\n<p>As news of the shooting broke on the heels of the racist rampage in Buffalo \u2014 where the white gunman allegedly targeted a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood \u2014 fear spread that the Taiwanese congregation had also been targets of a hate crime.<\/p>\n<p>But when the shooter was identified as an Asian man, other questions arose as the investigation into the violence and the gunman\u2019s motive continues.<\/p>\n<p>The case is in its early stages, Hallock said. He said the many unanswered questions include whether the assailant attended the church service, if he was known to church members and how many shots were fired.<\/p>\n<p>Laguna Woods was built as a senior living community and later became a city. More than 80% of residents in the city of 18,000 people about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles are at least 65. The shooting was in an area with a cluster of houses of worship, including Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist churches and a Jewish synagogue.<\/p>\n<p>Those wounded by gunshots included four Asian men, ages 66, 75, 82 and 92, and an 86-year-old Asian woman, the sheriff\u2019s department said.<\/p>\n<p>It was not immediately clear whether all of the victims were of Taiwanese descent.<\/p>\n<p>Taiwan&#8217;s democratically elected government has long taken a hands-off approach to religion on the island, where most follow Buddhism and traditional Chinese beliefs, but where Christianity and other religions also thrive.<\/p>\n<p>Taiwan\u2019s chief representative in the U.S., Bi-khim Hsiao, offered condolences to the families on Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI join the families of the victims and Taiwanese American communities in grief and pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded survivors,\u201d Hsiao wrote on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>The deadliest shooting inside a U.S. church was in 2017 in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A gunman opened fire during a Sunday service at First Baptist Church and killed more than two dozen people.<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Dylann Roof fired dozens of bullets during the closing prayer of a 2015 Bible study session at Charleston\u2019s Mother Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina. Nine members of the Black congregation were killed in the racist violence and Roof became the first person in the U.S. sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. His appeal remains before the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The gunman in a deadly attack at a Southern California church was a Chinese immigrant motivated by hatred for Taiwanese people, authorities said.The shooting killed Dr. John Cheng, 52,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1477010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1477010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1477010"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1477010\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1477010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1477010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1477010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}