A 52-year-old Dr. John Cheng posed heroic bravery, saving entire church members during a gun shooting confrontation in California.
A gunman David Chou who opened fire at a Southern California church was a Chinese immigrant motivated by hatred for Taiwanese people.
The shooter killed Dr. John Cheng, 52, and injured five others during a lunch hosted by Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, worshiping at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods.
Watch: Who Is Dr. John Cheng, a Lifesaver?
Dr. John Cheng was a 52-year-old Taiwanese descent family doctor who was killed while saving entire church members in California. He was the son traditional medicine practitioner.
He attended Texas Tech University’s School of Medicine and had a lifelong passion for martial arts.
He was a member of the South Coast Medical Group, which serves residents of Aliso Viejo, California, and the surrounding areas of Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, and Mission Viejo.
Cheng was an American Board of Family Medicine board-certified physician with a Fellowship in Sports Medicine.
The motive for the shooting was a grudge between the shooter, a Chinese immigrant and U.S. citizen, and the Taiwanese community, according to Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.
David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas, was named the suspect. He is being held on $1 million bail after being charged with one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
Chou is scheduled to appear in state court on Tuesday, and it was unclear whether an attorney would represent him.
California Church Suspect David Chou Shot Him During Confrontation while In Church Meeting
A 68-year-old David Chau has been arrested for the attempted mass shooting in California Church. The shooting killed Dr. John Cheng and injured five others.
Four men, ages 66, 92, 82, and 75, and an 86-year-old woman were five wounded victims.
Cheng was a father of two children and a well-known sports medicine specialist in Laguna Niguel. He charged at the suspect, attempting to disarm him, but others intervened.
“There is no doubt that there would be numerous other deaths if Dr. Cheng’s actions had not been taken,” the OC Sheriff’s Department said.
Cheng’s heroic actions were described to authorities by witnesses. The news was revealed on the same day that authorities identified the shooter as a 68-year-old Las Vegas man.
“This was a politically motivated hate incident,” Barnes said. “This individual had a grievance against the Taiwanese community.”