March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010
August 2010
September 2010 October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 March 2023 April 2023 May 2023 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 March 2024
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
31
News Every Day |

Prosecutor: Church gunman had ‘diabolical plan’ to massacre

Prosecutor: Church gunman had ‘diabolical plan’ to massacre

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The man charged with opening fire on a Taiwanese church congregation of mainly elderly people in Southern California wanted to “execute in cold blood as many people in that room as possible,” a prosecutor said Tuesday in announcing murder, attempted murder and other charges for the shooting that killed one person and wounded five.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer referred to David Chou, 68, as a monster whose rampage was thwarted by the heroic actions of a doctor who charged at him, a pastor who hit Chou with a chair and several parishioners who tied him up until police arrived.

“This monster crafted a diabolical plan to lock the church doors with his victims inside in order to lead what he thought were innocent lambs to slaughter,” Spitzer said. “But what he didn’t realize was the parishioners at the church that day weren’t lambs – they were lions and they fought back against the evil that tried to infiltrate their house of worship.”

Spitzer said Chou was motivated by hatred for Taiwan, where he was born after his family was forced from mainland China when Communists prevailed in a civil war that ended in 1949. He apparently chose the church at random and didn’t know anyone there, authorities said.

He drove from his home in Las Vegas on Saturday and arrived at the church the next day. Chou spent about an hour mingling with dozens of members of the congregation at a luncheon, which Spitzer said was Chou’s way of gaining their trust so they wouldn’t notice as he began carrying out his plot — chaining closed doors, super gluing locks and placing incendiary devices in several locations.

Chou’s method amounted to “lying in wait,” Spitzer said, a legal designation that can enhance penalties if he is convicted.

“This case is about the person concealing themselves in plain view,” he said.

If Chou is convicted and the jury finds the enhancements to be true, he would face a sentence of either life in prison without possibility of parole or the death penalty, Spitzer said.

Chou’s arraignment was continued to June 10 and he did not enter a plea during his first court appearance on Tuesday. He will continue to be held without bail. His public defender, Tania Vallejo, did not immediately return an email requesting comment.

Authorities have said Chou — a U.S. citizen who worked for years as a security guard — was motivated by hatred of Taiwanese people documented in handwritten notes that authorities found. Spitzer said he is considering hate crime charges but needs more time to investigate.

“While there’s very strong evidence right now that this was motivated by hate, we want to make sure we have put together all the evidence that confirms that theory in the case,” he said. Federal authorities are conducting their own hate crime investigation.

Tensions between China and Taiwan are at the highest in decades, with Beijing stepping up its military harassment by flying fighter jets toward the self-governing island. China has not ruled out force to reunify with Taiwan.

Chou had ties to a Las Vegas organization opposed to Taiwan’s independence from China, according to Taiwanese media.

Balmore Orellana, a former neighbor in Las Vegas, said Chou had been a friendly landlord but his life unraveled after his wife left him last year and returned to Taiwan. Spitzer said the suspect’s wife is terminally ill.

Chou moved into a four-bedroom house in February. His roommate, Jordin Davis, said he was a kind and quiet man who often shared his food. Chou identified himself as a Christian and made a cross in black tape on the roof of his car but never talked about religion, Davis said.

The two had few conversations beyond small talk or chatting about Davis’ dog, Zeus. Chou would “come home, go to sleep, take a shower, go to work and just repeat that routine all over again,” Davis said.

Chou only spoke about Taiwan once, during a conversation less than two weeks ago, Davis said. Chou said he felt the Taiwanese government was corrupt and disliked how people on the island were sympathetic to the leadership.

“He made himself seem like he was basically a political refugee,” Davis said.

Authorities searched the home on Monday, Davis said, and took a laptop. Officials have said they are investigating electronic records as part of the investigation.

Chou is accused firing at parishioners during a Sunday luncheon for members of Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which worships at Geneva Presbyterian Church in the community of Laguna Woods.

He had two 9 mm handguns — legally purchased years ago in Las Vegas — and three bags, containing four Molotov-cocktail-type incendiary devices and extra ammunition, according to authorities. He opened fire and in the ensuing chaos Dr. John Cheng, 52, tackled him, allowing other parishioners to subdue him and tie him up with an extension cord, the authorities said.

Cheng died and five people were wounded, including an 86-year-old woman and four men ranging from 66 to 92, the sheriff’s department said. Some already have been released from the hospital and others were in stable condition, according to the church’s former pastor, Billy Chang.

The luncheon came after a morning service to welcome Chang, who had served the church for 20 years. Chang moved back to Taiwan two years ago and this was his first time back.

In a statement Tuesday recounting the shooting, Chang said he first thought Chou was using a toy gun as a prank when Chou opened fire. When Chang realized it was actual gunfire, he picked up a chair and threw it at Chou, who fell on the floor. Chang rushed at Chou and three other congregation members held Chou down and tied him up.

“It wasn’t until then I noticed that Dr. Cheng was lying facedown to my front right with three bloody bullet wounds on the back, not moving,” Chang said.

Authorities have said that Cheng had charged at Chou and disrupted the gunfire. Sheriff Don Barnes on Monday called Cheng’s heroism “a meeting of good versus evil” that probably saved the lives “of upwards of dozens of people.”

Cheng, who practiced sports medicine, had recently lost his father and took his mother to the luncheon. He was well known in the community and liked by his patients.

Johnny Stanton, a fullback for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and an Orange County native, wrote on Twitter that Cheng had been his primary care physician.

“Absolute hero,” Stanton tweeted. ’He attacked the gunman and helped save so many in that church. I just wanted his name to be known. He will be missed.”

___

Associated Press journalists John Antczak in Los Angeles, and Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

Source

Москва

«Радио Зенит» – информационный партнер форума «Мы вместе. Спорт»

Top 10 Love Affair Movies of the 2000s and 2010s

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!

Top 10 Emmanuelle Seigner Movies

Ria.city






Read also

I tested the best Easter eggs for 2024 including Cadbury and Lindt – full list of delicious winners to buy this weekend

Delta bloodbath: Wanted monarch surrenders to police

Back to Life: model Kloss bringing back beloved U.S. magazine

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

The 10 Intense New Action Movies on Netflix That Left Me on the Edge of My Seat!



Sports today


Новости тенниса
WTA

Чесноков оценил шансы Александровой в борьбе за выход в финал турнира WTA в Майами



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

Федерация бокса России на ВДНХ



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

Мечевой бой состоялся в павильоне «Спорт для каждого»


Новости России

Game News

Шапки женские вязаные на Wildberries, 2024 — новый цвет от 392 руб. (модель 466)


Russian.city


Москва

Девятый фигурант дела о теракте в «Крокусе» получил 15 суток за нецензурную брань


Губернаторы России
Бизнес

Бизнес в огне. Почему так часто горят склады


Музыкант удивляет публику: Революционный ремикс Бянки и Птахи - Тук Тук

Мамиашвили о позиции МОК по Играм дружбы: оттуда, где хорошо, не бегут

Собянин: Школьники из Москвы победили во всероссийской олимпиаде по физике

СК запросил арест девятого фигуранта дела о теракте в «Крокус Сити Холле»


Консультации, Составление Договоров, Присутствие Продюсера при заключении договоров и переговорах. Лекции. Переговоры. Встречи и Обсуждения.

Концерт лауреатов музыкального конкурса «Волшебные звуки» прошел в Воскресенске

Концерт "Crush string quartet "с программой «Мировые рок - хиты»

Эффект Карабаса: Почему Моргенштерн взялся спасать молодых коллег от музыкального лейбла Rhymes Music


Хачанов победил Черундоло и пробился в 1/8 финала турнира ATP в Майами

Россиянка покинула WTA-1000 из-за проблем со здоровьем

Виктория Азаренко вышла в полуфинал турнира WTA-1000 в Майами

Рыбакина о том, что не играла в Индиан-Уэллс из-за болезни: «К сожалению, восстановление заняло много времени»



Шапки женские вязаные на Wildberries, 2024 — новый цвет от 392 руб. (модель 466)

«Радио Зенит» – информационный партнер форума «Мы вместе. Спорт»

Перенос дат II этапа культурного проекта «Классика: история и современность» в Дмитрове

Пассажир рейса Москва — Пермь попал в реанимацию


Творческая встреча с искателем приключений состоится в Симферополе

Продвижение Песен и Музыки в Плей-листах Яндекс.Музыка.

Сергей Собянин рассказал, как Москва помогает производителям оборудования

Фильм о пришельцах снятый на деньги мафии


Эксперт Президентской академии в Санкт-Петербурге о развитии Северного морского пути  

За прошлый год Россельхознадзор выявил в России более 2 200 несуществующих предприятий

СК является одним из ведомств, эффективно противодействующих коррупции в России

Шакро Молодой вышел из колонии на два года раньше срока



Путин в России и мире






Персональные новости Russian.city
Александр Розенбаум

Розенбаум исполнил «Вечернюю застольную» в память о жертвах теракта в «Крокусе»



News Every Day

Top 10 Love Affair Movies of the 2000s and 2010s




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости