Dr. John Cheng, who was killed Sunday in a shooting at a Taiwanese church in Southern California that also left five wounded, is remembered as a “caring, kind and humble” member of the community.
Cheng was a 52-year-old sports medicine doctor and the father of two children. He was attending a lunch banquet at Taiwan Irvine Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, about 45 miles south of Los Angeles, with his mother when the shooting began. He tackled the shooter in an attempt to stop him and suffered multiple gunshot wounds. according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Cheng was pronounced dead at the scene.
During a news conference Monday, Sheriff Don Barnes called Cheng a “hero” for trying to protect others in the church.
“Dr. Cheng is known to have charged at the individual, the suspect, attempted to disarm him, which allowed other parishioners to intercede and take the suspect into custody,” Barnes said.
“Without Dr. Cheng’s actions, there is no question that there would be numerous additional victims in this crime,” Barnes added.
The suspect, David Chou, 68, was arrested and taken into custody on one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
In addition to his work as a doctor, Cheng was an active member of the community, including volunteering for the local high school soccer team.
“Dr. Cheng was a caring, kind and humble man. He put the needs of others ahead of his own,” Andrew Mashburn, the school’s athletic director, wrote in an email to NBC Asian America. in the fall to be on the sidelines of our football games and help with any injuries. Our coach was able to refer many of our student-athletes to his office, where he would prioritize helping them.”
He said Cheng also provided discounted annual physicals for students and donated money to the school’s athletic programs.
“I’m not surprised to hear about the situation: him doing what he did. His needs were always secondary to those of others, and that is what his heroic actions demonstrated. Our hearts go out to his family, colleagues and loved ones. He will be greatly missed in our community and he will truly be irreplaceable,” Mashburn said.
His colleagues also described him as a “humble and generous man”.
“Dr. Cheng was a natural protector and healer,” said Johnna Gherardini, CEO of South Coast Medical Group, where Cheng also worked. “It was characteristic of Dr. Cheng, charging toward the gunman. he was the hero! Dr. Cheng exemplified what he was created for. His heroism saved so many people not only in that church but throughout his career.”
Joe Cockrell, 46, a patient of Cheng’s, remembers him as “very passionate” about fitness and sports for young people and for teaching children healthy lifestyles and that he had a “kind and caring” treatment next to bed.
“My heart breaks for his family. I know he will be greatly missed by his patients. I can tell you that,” she said.
Others posted condolences for Cheng online, including Johnny Stanton, a Cleveland Browns fullback who was a patient of Cheng’s.
Barnes on Monday called the shooting “a politically motivated hate incident” and said Chou, a Chinese-born US citizen, “was upset about the political tensions between China and Taiwan.”
The shooting came days after three women of Korean descent were shot at a hair salon in Dallas’s Koreatown.
Reference-www.nbcnews.com