The Orange County Sheriff’s Department mentioned Monday that the suspect in Sunday’s capturing on the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, California, who killed one individual and injured 5 others was indignant over tensions between Taiwan and China.
“It is believed that the suspect involved was upset at political tensions between China and Taiwan,” Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes mentioned throughout a press convention. He additionally known as the capturing a “politically motivated hate incident,” and that the suspected shooter had “a grievance…between himself and the Taiwanese community at large.”
During the press convention, Barnes mentioned that the suspected shooter is a U.S. citizen that emigrated from China. Over the previous a number of months, tensions between Taiwan and China have continued to rise. Taiwan considers itself as an impartial nation whereas China sees it as its personal territory.
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According to the Los Angeles Times, on the time of the capturing, the Geneva Presbyterian Church was internet hosting a luncheon for the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church. The newspaper additionally reported that the church is without doubt one of the largest Taiwanese church buildings within the metropolis.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department later recognized the suspected shooter as 68-year-old David Wenwei Chou, who’s a resident of Las Vegas.
“He has been booked on one felony count of murder and five felony counts of attempted murder,” the sheriff’s division tweeted Monday morning.
According to native authorities, the victims that had been injured within the capturing ranged from 66 to 92 years previous, and had been all Asian.
#OCSDPIO The suspect within the Laguna Woods church capturing has been recognized as David Chou, 68 years previous, of Las Vegas, NV. He has been booked on one felony depend of homicide and 5 felony counts of tried homicide. More information to comply with at todays press convention.
— OC Sheriff, CA (@OCSheriff) May 16, 2022
The sheriff additionally famous that investigators don’t consider the suspect had any ties to the church or its congregants, however famous that issues may change because the investigation continues.
“We located several bags within the facility, they contained magazines with additional ammo, [and] four Molotov cocktail-like incendiary devices that he had placed around the inside of the church,” Barnes mentioned.
The sole person that was killed within the capturing was recognized on Monday as 52-year-old Dr. John Cheng, who leaves behind a spouse and two youngsters. According to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, the physician “sacrificed himself so that others could live,” by charging at Chou.
“Dr. Cheng, understanding that there were elderly [people] everywhere and they couldn’t get out of the premises because the doors had been chained after others had been shot, he took it upon himself to charge across the room and to do everything he could to disable the assailant,” Spitzer mentioned throughout Monday’s press convention, in line with Fox 11.