Pastor, congregation hogtied Calif. gunman with extension cord during church shooting
May 16, 2022
Taiwanese hero pastor Billy Chang
(pictured) hit a gunman with a chair while elderly congregants hogtied
him after a shooting at Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church on Sunday,
leaving one dead and injuring five
The congregation (some are
pictured together) were at the hall for a luncheon after morning service
to welcome their former Pastor Billy Chang (pictured front centre,
fourth from right) back after returning to the US from Taiwan for the
first time in two years
The gunman who killed one and injured five others in a California church Sunday was tackled by a heroic retired pastor — then subdued by elderly parishioners, who hogtied his legs and wrangled away his two handguns, officials said.
The gunman — so far only identified as an Asian man in his 60s — burst into Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods during a luncheon honoring its former longtime Pastor Billy Chang.
The scene of the shooting at the Geneva Presbyterian Church on May 15, 2022, in Laguna Woods, California. The gunman was tackled by a heroic retired pastor — then subdued by elderly parishioners
“That group of churchgoers displayed what we believe is exceptional
heroism and bravery in intervening to stop the suspect,” Orange County
Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said.
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/california-churchgoers-detained-gunman-in-deadly-attack-1109620.html
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/california-churchgoers-detained-gunman-in-deadly-attack-1109620.html
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/california-churchgoers-detained-gunman-in-deadly-attack-1109620.html
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/california-churchgoers-detained-gunman-in-deadly-attack-1109620.html
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/california-churchgoers-detained-gunman-in-d
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/california-churchgoers-detained-gunman-in-deadly-attack-1109620.html
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/california-churchgoers-detained-gunman-in-deadly-attack-1109620.html
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/california-churchgoers-detained-gunman-in-deadly-attack-1109620.html
Jeff Hallock, Orange County Sheriff's Department undersheriff speaks to the media after the deadly shooting
“They undoubtedly prevented additional injuries and fatalities,” he said.
“I think it’s safe to say that had people not intervened, it could have been much worse.”
The lone fatality, described only as a man, died inside the church, officials said.
No motive has been released for the attack. The gunman is not thought to be from the local community and it was not immediately clear if he had ties to the church, the undersheriff said.
“At this time, we do not know what the suspect’s motive may be or whether he had an intended target, or whether this is even a hate-related incident,” Hallock said.
The five wounded were four Asian men, ages 66, 75, 82 and 92, and an 86-year-old Asian woman, officials said. Four of them were listed in critical condition with gunshot wounds.
A police officer leads a bomb canine at the scene of a shooting at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in a search for devices
Witness Jerry Chen — one of those who called 911 — said there were around 40 people in the church at the time for the luncheon welcoming back Chang, who had served the church for 20 years before moving back to Taiwan two years ago. This was his first time back stateside, Chen said.
“We’re mostly retirees and the average age of our church is 80,” Chen said, saying most were Taiwanese immigrants.
“It was amazing how brave (Chang) and the others were,” he said. “This is just so sad. I never, ever thought something like this would happen in my church, in my community.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said that “no one should have to fear going to their place of worship.”
“Our thoughts are with the victims, community, and all those impacted by this tragic event,” his office said on Twitter.
It was at least the second mass shooting of the weekend after 10 people were killed in a despicable race-hate attack in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, Saturday.
t was also just the latest mass shooting in a US church, with the deadliest in 2017 when a gunman killed more than two dozen people during a Sunday service at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
In 2015, Dylann Roof fired dozens of bullets during the closing prayer of a 2015 Bible study session at Charleston’s Mother Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina. Nine members of the black congregation were killed in the racist violence and Roof became the first person in the US sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. His appeal remains before the Supreme Court.
ADDENDUM: The suspect was identified by Orange County authorities Monday as 68-year-old Chinese immigrant David Chou of Las Vegas. They said the shooting was "politically motivated hate incident" against the Taiwanese community.
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