Suspect in Laguna Woods church shooting ID’d as 68-year-old Vegas man

The suspect within the Laguna Woods church capturing that killed one individual and wounded 5 others was recognized Monday as a 68-year-old Las Vegas man.

The gunman, recognized as David Chou, was booked on one depend of homicide and 5 counts of tried homicide in reference to the Sunday afternoon capturing at Geneva Presbyterian Church on the 24000 block of El Toro Highway, in accordance with the Orange County Sheriff’s Workplace.

Authorities are nonetheless making an attempt to find out the motive behind the violence on the church.

The assault occurred throughout a lunch banquet after the morning service at Geneva Presbyterian, the place dozens of individuals have been gathered.

The gunman entered the church and opened fireplace, putting a number of folks.

One man was shot and killed. His id is being withheld pending notification of his household.

5 different folks have been wounded, together with an 86-year-old lady and 4 males aged 66, 92, 82 and 75, officers stated. 

The capturing got here to an finish when, in an act of “extraordinary heroism,” the church’s congregants overpowered the suspect and hogtied him with an extension twine till first responders arrived, authorities stated.

A churchgoer advised the Los Angeles Occasions that the pastor hit the gunman with a chair as he was reloading his gun and different churchgoers tackled him.

“I feel it’s secure to say, had folks not intervened, it might’ve been so much worse,” Undersheriff Jeff Hallock stated Sunday. “There have been 30 to 40 folks inside.”

After the lethal capturing, investigators reported discovering two handguns on the scene.

Because the weapons have been serialized, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives positioned an “pressing hint” on the firearms to find out who purchased them, officers stated.

The capturing in Orange County got here simply at some point after a gunman opened fireplace at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, killing 10 folks.

“It’s horrifying to be grieving one more tragic capturing in simply 72 hours – one other weekend in America outlined by mindless violence,” Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff stated in an announcement.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s workplace launched an announcement Sunday afternoon, saying they have been monitoring the capturing and dealing intently with native legislation enforcement.

“Nobody ought to should concern going to their place of worship. Our ideas are with the victims, neighborhood, and all these impacted by this tragic occasion,” the assertion learn.