Man indicted on 98 charges including hate crimes for shooting at Taiwanese church in California

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A man who killed one person and wounded five others when he opened fire at a Southern California church luncheon last year has been charged with dozens of federal hate crimes in connection with the attack, which investigators said was motivated by political hatred of Taiwan.

The indictment announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice charges David Chou, of Las Vegas, with 98 counts including weapons and explosives charges and forcefully obstructing the free exercise of religion.

It wasn’t immediately known if Chou, 69, had an attorney who could speak on his behalf. He is currently in custody pending state criminal charges.

Authorities said Chou chained and nailed shut exit doors to the room May 15, 2022, before launching the attack on a gathering of older parishioners from the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods.

Chou was armed with two handguns and bags holding ammunition and four Molotov cocktail-style devices and was motivated by hatred of Taiwan, where he grew up, investigators said.

The son of one of the parishioners rushed Chou and was killed. The congregation’s visiting former pastor said he then threw a chair at Chou and several congregants held him down and tied him up.

Chou was charged last year by Orange County prosecutors with murder, attempted murder and other counts.