Hate Crime Allegations Added In Laguna Woods Church Shooting

LAGUNA WOODS, CA — A Las Vegas man stands accused of committing a hate crime after he killed one person and wounded five others at a mass shooting at a Taiwanese American church luncheon in Laguna Woods in May, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Friday.

David Chou, 68, faces a capital murder charge and five attempted murder charges in addition to the added hate crime allegations, prosecutors said. He faces a maximum sentence of death if convicted on all charges.

"Prosecutors filed an amended complaint this week to add a special circumstance that Chou intentionally killed his victim because of his race, color, religion, nationality, or country of origin, and five enhancements of a hate crime for each of the five counts of attempted murder," Spitzer said in a news release.

Authorities accused Chou of opening fire on a group of Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church parishioners last month at a lunch gathering held at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods. A 52-year-old doctor from Laguna Niguel who took his mother to the event was killed.

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

Authorities said Dr. John Cheng charged and tried to disarm the gunman, which allowed other parishioners to intervene. Cheng was fatally shot and Chou was ultimately hog-tied by parishioners.

Chou was found with two 9 mm handguns and had several backpacks, including extra magazines and four Molotov cocktail-type devices, prosecutors said.

Chou also made attempts to secure the building so parishioners could not escape, Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Don Barnes said in a May news conference.

Officials said the shooting may have been politically motivated. Chou, a Chinese immigrant, had no connection to the largely Taiwanese congregation or anyone in it but was motivated by political tensions between China and Taiwan, Barnes said Monday.

Investigators also found a note in Chou's car in the church parking lot that indicated his animosity toward Taiwan, officials said.

Spitzer said it appeared Chou's family was forced to move from China to Taiwan and that Chou complained he was treated poorly as an outsider over the years, officials said.

Chou is expected to be arraigned on Aug. 19 and is currently being held at no bail, prosecutors said.

Read more Laguna Woods church shooting coverage:

• OC Church Shooting: Man Charged With Capital Murder, 9 Other Counts
• 5 Things To Know About The Laguna Woods Church Shooting
• Outpour Of Community Support In Laguna Woods After OC Church Shooting
• Doctor Killed In Laguna Woods Church Shooting Lauded As A 'Hero'
• Alleged OC Church Shooter May Have Sent Documents To Newspaper: Report
• Churchgoers Hogtie Gunman Who Killed 1 And Wounded 5 In Laguna Woods