Churchgoers stop gunman in deadly shooting

One person is dead and five others are injured in an attack on a Taiwanese Presbyterian congregation Sunday in Southern California. Police arrived at Geneva Presbyterian Church in the city of Laguna Woods to find the suspect captured and hog-tied. Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said parishioners’ actions saved lives: “That group of churchgoers displayed what we believe is exceptional heroism and bravery in intervening to stop the suspect.”

What do we know about the suspect? Police had not commented on a motive in the shooting as of Sunday night, but they said they did not think the suspect, an Asian man in his 60s, lived in the community. They also did not know whether he knew any of the victims, who had gathered with about 30 to 40 members of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church after a morning worship service at Geneva. Laguna Woods was built as a senior living community, and more than 80 percent of residents are at least 65 years old. The wounded victims were four Asian men, ages 66, 75, 82, and 92, and an 86-year-old Asian woman, the sheriff’s department said.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Jamie Dean’s report on a church that had to grapple with one of its members becoming a mass shooter.