SANTA ANA, Calif. (KESQ) – A 72-year-old man pleaded not guilty today in federal court to an alleged hate-crime mass shooting in a Laguna Woods church that killed a doctor and wounded five others.
David Wenwei Chou made his first appearance in federal court on an indictment related to the May 15, 2022, shooting inside the Geneva Presbyterian Church where a Taiwanese congregation was holding a luncheon to celebrate the return of a former pastor. Authorities have said Chou was motivated by a long- standing grievance against the Taiwanese community over tensions with China.
Chou is accused of killing 52-year-old Aliso Viejo-based Dr. John Cheng, who rushed the gunman, which authorities said allowed for other parishioners to subdue the assailant, who they hogtied with an electrical cord until police arrived…