Authorities claimed yesterday that a Chinese-born shooter motivated by anti-Taiwan sentiment bolted shut the doors of a California church and buried firebombs before opening fire on a gathering of mostly elderly Taiwanese parishioners, killing a man who tackled him to save potentially dozens more lives.

David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas, went to Orange County on Saturday and attended an Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church lunch the next day, which worships at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods.

Despite knowing no one there, he spent almost an hour chatting with around 40 participants before carrying out his plan, investigators said during a press conference.

He chained the doors and glued the locks shut. He was carrying two 9mm pistols and two bags, one containing four Molotov cocktail-style incendiary devices and the other containing more ammo.

Dr. John Cheng, 52, tackled him in the following confusion, and other parishioners were able to overpower him and tie him up with extension cables.
Cheng was killed, and five persons were injured, the oldest of them was 92. Sheriff Don Barnes described Cheng’s bravery as “a clash of good versus evil” that likely saved the lives of scores of people.