The gunman in a hate-fueled taking pictures assault at a Southern California church despatched copies of a diary to a Chinese language-language media outlet earlier than he fatally shot a parishioner and wounded 5 others, the newspaper that acquired the package deal reported.
The World Journal reported Wednesday that David Chou, 68, who’s going through homicide and tried homicide expenses in reference to the taking pictures, mailed seven copies of photocopied paperwork and flash drives to its workplace in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park.
The paperwork had been titled “Diary of an Angel of Destroying Independence,” however the newspaper didn’t report its contents. The media outlet turned the paperwork over to police, based on its report. A photograph accompanying the report confirmed a number of stacks of paperwork and flash drives and that the postage price $16.10.
Maxwell Lin, an lawyer for the World Journal, advised the Los Angeles Occasions the package deal arrived Tuesday morning with Chou’s title and a Las Vegas tackle. Lin advised the Occasions he did not suppose anybody on the newspaper had learn via all of the paperwork nor may he verify whether or not police had acquired the paperwork.
Orange County Sheriff’s Division spokesperson Carrie Braun advised USA TODAY the division was “conscious of the paperwork” however didn’t say whether or not they had acquired them. The division was working its investigation in tandem with the FBI, Braun stated.
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Chou is accused of opening fireplace as older parishioners gathered at a day luncheon for a former pastor of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods.
Dr. John Cheng, 52, was killed within the assault when he tried to disarm Chou, authorities stated. 5 others ages 66 to 92 had been wounded. The parishioners and pastor had been in a position to disarm Chou and hogtie him earlier than police arrived, authorities stated.
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes on Monday described the taking pictures as “a politically motivated hate incident” and stated it was pushed by “a grievance that this particular person had between himself and the Taiwanese neighborhood at-large.” Authorities stated it was unclear why Chou focused that church particularly. He had been residing in Las Vegas earlier than driving to Southern California for the assault.
Chou was born in Taiwan, the sheriff’s division stated, however his mother and father had been from China and amongst a wave of folks compelled to maneuver after 1948, based on Orange County District Legal professional Todd Spitzer. Amid the Chinese language Civil Conflict, these with an identical background got here to be generally known as “waishengren,” or these “born outdoors” and sometimes determine as Chinese language fairly than Taiwanese.
Barnes stated investigators discovered handwritten notes in Chou’s automobile supporting their perception that hatred of Taiwan fueled the assault. “I consider his hatred of Taiwan manifested when he was residing there in earlier years, probably in his youth,” Barnes stated.
Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China, was established in 1949 and considers itself an unbiased nation. China, nevertheless, sees Taiwan, simply 125 miles off its southeastern coast, as a breakaway province. Tensions between the 2 are at its highest in many years, and Beijing has stepped up its navy presence by flying fighter jets towards the self-governing island.
Kristi Johnson, assistant director in command of the FBI’s Los Angeles subject workplace, stated a federal hate crime investigation into the taking pictures had been opened. Chou may face life in jail or the dying penalty if convicted of homicide and tried homicide. He faces different expenses however didn’t enter a plea at his first courtroom look this week. He’s due again in courtroom June 10.
Police stated Chou was armed with two pistols when he opened fireplace. Ammunition and Molotov cocktails had been additionally discovered on the scene, and authorities stated Chou tried to safe the doorways of the church with chains, nails and superglue.
Spitzer stated a “mendacity in wait” enhancement was added to Chou’s homicide cost on account of Chou trying to hide himself inside the congregation earlier than the taking pictures.
“He did all the pieces he may to slot in, to make himself considered one of them,” Spitzer stated. “We sometimes consider the one that hides within the bushes. … This case is concerning the individual concealing themselves in plain view.”
Cheng charged Chou earlier than he was fatally shot, and Barnes known as his heroism in trying to cease the gunman “a gathering of fine versus evil.”
Contributing: Cady Stanton, USA TODAY; Mary Chao, USA TODAY Community; Related Press
