Prosecutors in Orange County Friday announced they added hate crime charges in a mass shooting at a Presbyterian church in Laguna Woods, reports ABC7 News.
Authorities accuse David Wenwei Chou of killing one man and injuring five others at Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church because of his political hatred for Taiwan.
Police say the Las Vegas man attended a service that day and later attended a luncheon to honor a former pastor. There investigators believe he chained shut the exits and then opened fire.
“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,” the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement to NBC LA.
CNN also reports authorities said Chou had a bag of molotov cocktails and extra ammunition.
Pastor Billy Chang struck the gunman with a chair and others hogtied him and took at least two guns from him, police said.
Dr. John Cheng died when the gunman shot him as he charged to try to subdue the suspect.
Chou who is eligible for the death penalty is being held without bail.
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