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69-year-old David Chou has been accused of killing and injuring people at a Taiwanese Presbyterian church. According to prosecutors, Chou faces several charges, including those related to hate crimes, murder, and attempted murder. A federal grand jury in Santa Ana charged David Chou with 98 counts for the shooting that took place in May 2022.
The deceased victim was identified as a 52-year-old sports medicine doctor named John Cheng. Chou allegedly attempted to kill 44 others that day. Despite the charges, David Chou has pleaded not guilty. According to prosecutors, if Chou gets convicted, he could face life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty.
It was further claimed that Chou locked the doors of the church shut, before opening fire at the people with his 9-millimeter handguns. In the shooting, he allegedly killed Cheng and wounded five others.
David Chou allegedly walked into the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods armed with Molotov cocktails
For those unaware, Chou attacked those inside the Taiwanese church on May 15, 2022. He allegedly went to the church with backpacks filled with Molotov cocktails and extra magazines along with two 9-millimeter handguns. He then chained the doors of the church from the inside and began shooting.
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said that John Cheng reportedly charged at Chou, attempting to disarm him. He wasn’t a regular at the church but attended that day with his mother for a luncheon. Federal prosecutors claimed that the attack was based on the national origin and religion of the victims.
Chou has been charged with 45 counts of violating a federal hate crimes law by opening fire at church congregants because of their Taiwanese origin and Presbyterian faith. David Chou faces one count of trying to damage or destroy a building with fire and explosives, one count of carrying explosives during the commission of a felony, and six counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Chou faces both federal and state charges
According to the US Department of Justice,
“Chou allegedly acted because of the victims’ national origin and religion, and he intentionally obstructed the victims’ religious exercise.”
It was further stated that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the ATF, and the FBI Los Angeles Field Office have assisted in the case. Chou faces both state and federal charges, but it is unclear which charges he will be tried on first.
News outlets have tried reaching Chou’s attorney, but are yet to get any response from the other end. The state charges filed against David Chou include murder, attempted murder, and other felonies.
The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan supports pro-independence causes and the Irvine congregation’s services are in Taiwanese dialect. As has been mentioned already, Chou was accused of attacking the church and the people in it for their nationality and religion. The injured victims ranged from ages 66 to 92. Chou grew up in Taiwan and is a US citizen.
