Church shooting suspect was ‘very negative,’ took issue with Taiwan and U.S. governments, acquaintances say

After the deadly shooting Sunday at a Taiwanese church in Southern California, those who interacted with suspect David Chou are sharing past interactions, trying to make sense of the tragedy.

Acquaintances who had gathered with Chou, 68, several times over the years through the Taiwanese Association of Las Vegas reflected on the shooting Sunday, which killed one person and injured five other people. They described him as “very negative” and recalled his controversial political views and disapproval for law enforcement and the U.S. and Taiwanese governments. 

Chou, a Las Vegas resident who was born in Taiwan, has been charged with one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder in the shooting at a brunch hosted by Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which law enforcement has described as a “politically motivated hate incident.” Police say investigators found notes in Chou’s car that proved he had “hatred of the Taiwanese people.” They said that Chou — who is accused of attacking churchgoers during a celebration lunch for Pastor Billy Chang, who had just returned from Taiwan — “was upset about political tensions between China and Taiwan.”

While Chou was mostly friendly with association members, seeking company through them, several of them said that at times he would share thoughts about China-Taiwan unification.

“He would sometimes say he had a different opinion about the government,” said Esther Pan, the association’s president. “But we would never fight with those with different opinions.”

“He talked to us very nicely, happy to talk to us and to gather for lunch,” a contact said. “But on the inside, he still thinks that Taiwan is China.”

Chou’s public defender, Tania Vallejo, did not respond to a request for comment.

The issue dates to the Chinese Civil War, a struggle for control of China between Nationalists, known as the Kuomintang, and the Chinese Communist Party. The Communist Party took control of the mainland, establishing the nation as the People’s Republic in China in 1949. The Kuomintang leadership fled to Taiwan, where it installed the Republic of China government-in-exile. The People’s Republic of China deems the Republic of China illegal and has maintained that Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory, even though the island is self-governed.

Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in particular has historically been aligned with Taiwanese pro-independence views. In a 1977 Declaration of Human Rights, the church wrote that it hoped that then-President Jimmy Carter would “uphold the principles of human rights” and guarantee “the security, independence, and freedom of the people of Taiwan.”

Tensions, which have waxed and waned over the years, surged after Taiwan’s 2016 election. China has put increasing pressure on Taiwan to “come back” or unify under its jurisdiction.

Another member of the association, who asked to be anonymous out of fear of retaliation, added that “this will definitely be in the minds of the elders here.”

“A lot of the participants were very shocked, because it could have happened here, locally,” he said.

Chou was charged with special circumstances murder, meaning that if he is convicted, he could be sentenced to the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said. He was also charged with five counts of attempted murder and four counts of possessing an explosive device. Due to the special circumstances murder charge, Chou will be held without bail, the district attorney said. His initial bail was set at $1 million.

The association member said he met Chou years ago at a potluck hosted by the organization. The acquaintance said Chou had moved to Las Vegas and bought property to rent to tenants.