Roommate: Church shooting suspect voiced criticism of Taiwan

Gabe Kipers, a neighbor of Dr. John Cheng, kneels at a memorial for him outside his office building on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Aliso Viejo, Calif. Cheng, 52, was killed in Sunday's shooting at Geneva Presbyterian Church. SANTA ANA, Calif. — — The man accused of opening fire on a Southern California church congregation of mainly elderly people because of his political hatred for Taiwan recently spoke about his contempt for the island at home, his roommate said.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has 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 before he drove to California from Las Vegas on Saturday, authorities said.Chou had his first court appearance by video link Tuesday but didn’t enter a plea to charges of murder and attempted murder.

Chou never talked religion but identified himself as a Christian and made a cross in black tape on the roof of his car, Davis added. Later, prosecutors said Chou spent about an hour mingling with dozens of members of the congregation at a luncheon honoring the church’s former pastor, Billy Chang, who had served the church for 20 years and was returning for the first time since moving back to Taiwan two years ago.

When Chou began locking the doors with chains, some parishioners who were leaving thought he was a guard. He allowed them to exit and was later seen nailing shut two other exit doors, the church said. “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.

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