Doctor who died as he tackled gunman in church shooting is hailed a hero

A GUNMAN motivated by hatred against Taiwan chained shut the doors of a California church and

hid firebombs before shooting at a gathering of mostly elderly Taiwanese parishioners, killing a man who tackled him, US authorities said.

David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas, a US citizen whom authorities say grew up in Taiwan, drove to Orange County on Saturday and the next day attended a lunch held by Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which worships at Geneva Presbyterian Church in the community of Laguna Woods.

Though he knew no one there, he spent about an hour mingling with about 40 attendees and then executed his plot, authorities said.

He chained the doors and put super glue in the keyholes. He had two 9mm handguns – legally bought years ago in Las Vegas – and three bags, containing among other things four Molotov-cocktail-type incendiary devices and extra ammunition.

He opened fire and in the ensuing chaos Dr John Cheng, 52, a sports medicine doctor, charged at the shooter and attempted to disarm him, allowing others to intervene. Mr Chang hit the gunman on the head with a chair before other parishioners subdued him.

Mr Cheng died and five people were wounded, the oldest aged 92. The doctor is survived by a wife and two children.

Sheriff Don Barnes called Mr Cheng’s heroism “a meeting of good versus evil” that probably saved the lives “of upwards of dozens of people”.

Chou was charged on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and jailed on $1 million bail. A federal hate crimes investigation is also under way.

Chou had worked as a security guard in Las Vegas, authorities said.

There was no immediate word on why he chose to target the church in Laguna Woods.

Sheriff Barnes said the motive for the shooting was Chou’s hatred toward Taiwan that was documented in handwritten notes authorities found. Chou’s family apparently was among many forcibly removed from mainland China to Taiwan sometime after 1948, said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

Sheriff Barnes referred to Chou as an immigrant from China but Taiwan’s Central News Agency said it interviewed Louis M Huang, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, and he confirmed Chou was born in Taiwan in 1953.

Balmore Orellana, a former neighbour of Chou, said Chou’s life unravelled after his wife left him last year. Before, Chou had been a pleasant man who used to own the Las Vegas apartment building where he lived until being evicted in February.