Accused Laguna Woods Church Gunman Faces Almost 100 Federal Charges Including Hate Crime

LAGUNA WOODS, CA — The 69-year-old man charged with driving from Nevada to Orange County and opening fire on a Laguna Woods congregation about a year ago is now facing over 100 federal hate crime, weapons and explosives counts, the Department of Justice said on Thursday.

David Wenwei Chou, of Las Vegas, was indicted Wednesday on 45 counts of obstructing free exercise of religious beliefs by force, which resulted in the death of one victim, attempts to kill 44 others and included the use of gun and explosives and fire.

Chou was also indicted on 45 counts of violating hate crimes with an attack on Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian congregants in Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, as well as one count of attempting to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce by means of fire and explosives, one count of carrying explosives during the commission of a federal felony offense and six counts of using a gun during the commission of a crime of violence, court documents show.

The Las Vegas man will face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted at trial. He is also eligible for the death penalty if prosecutors decide to pursue it, reports said.

Chou was charged last year in state court with one count of murder with a special circumstance allegation that the attack was racially motivated.

The man is also charged with five counts of attempted premeditated murder, four counts of possession of an explosive device and faces sentencing enhancements for lying in wait and the personal discharge of a firearm causing death.

Chou was charged in connection with the shooting Sunday, May 15, 2022 at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods that killed one man and injured four other people, a crime that officials attributed to hatred of Taiwan. All the victims were Taiwanese Americans; Chou is Chinese American.
Sheriff's officials said Chou was carrying incendiary devices similar to Molotov cocktails.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said at a news release after the shooting that he believed Chou intended to kill everyone inside the church then burn the building to the ground.

Chou traveled from Las Vegas to Orange County in order to attend a lunch banquet being held by a Taiwanese congregation at Geneva Presbyterian Church, 24301 El Toro Road, authorities said.

Dr. John Cheng, 52, a Laguna Niguel resident and physician with South Bay Medical Group in Aliso Viejo, was killed when he charged the gunman and attempted to disarm him, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said on an earlier news conference. Cheng is survived by a wife, who was not identified, and two children.

Cheng charged at Chou, who fired once at Cheng and struck him fatally, Barnes said Monday. Chou attempted to shoot Cheng again, but authorities said the gun became jammed and did not go off.

This allowed parishioners the seconds they needed to overwhelm Chou and restrain him, Barnes said.

The five parishioners injured in the incident were in stable condition, authorities said. No other details about their injuries were released.

READ MORE:

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• Outpour Of Community Support In Laguna Woods After OC Church Shooting
• Hate Crime Allegations Added In Laguna Woods Church Shooting
• Accused Orange County Church Shooter Pleads Not Guilty In Court