Laguna Woods, Calif.
Fueled by hate: Authorities said a gunman was motivated by anti-Taiwan hatred when he opened fire at an Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church service this week, killing one man and injuring five elderly worshippers. David Chou, 68—a Las Vegas security guard who authorities say grew up in Taiwan— allegedly drove 270 miles to Laguna Woods, armed with incendiary devices and two handguns. Investigators say he chained the doors shut and sat in the back of a service with about 150 people before opening fire. In the ensuing chaos, Dr. John Cheng, 52—a sports physician and martial arts instructor—tackled Chou before being fatally shot, giving other parishioners a chance to disable Chou and hogtie him with extension cords. Cheng likely saved “upwards of dozens of people,” Sheriff Don Barnes said. Investigators found notes in Chou’s car that indicated “his hatred of the Taiwanese people” and his belief that Taiwan should not be an independent country, Barnes said.