Doctor who fought church gunman remembered as kind protector

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (AP) — He was known by all as simply Dr. John, the quiet, calm physician who mentored kids in kung fu, finding time between patient appointments to encourage people to learn self-defense. So it was no surprise to friends and colleagues that John Cheng spent his final moments saving others by rushing a gunman who fired on a Southern California church luncheon of mostly older Taiwanese people, including Cheng’s recently widowed mother.

The 52-year-old father of two often looked for ways to protect people. He was concerned enough about the growing number of mass shootings that he had taken safety courses to prepare himself for a situation like the one that cost him his life Sunday.

“It was characteristic of Dr. Cheng to charge forward at that gunman,” said Erica Triplett, Cheng’s office manager. “It does not surprise any of us. Dr. Cheng exemplified what he was built for — his heroism that saved so many people not only at that church, but throughout his career.”

The family and sports medicine physician was like family to the staff and he encouraged them to learn kung fu, telling them about the importance of knowing self-defense techniques. He also learned how to handle a gun for that same reason.

That preparedness combined with Cheng’s serene disposition likely gave him a proclivity for acting heroically, according to active shooter experts. Most people in those situations freeze.

“People don’t rise to the level of the occasion; they fall to the level of training that they have,” said active shooter expert Chris Grollnek, who believes such trainings should be as common as fire drills. “This man obviously as a doctor was inoculated (to deal) with bad things from a bone sticking out of somebody’s arm to a tragic event like what happened inside the church in Orange County.”