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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Taiwanese Church Shooting
HEADLINE: California Taiwanese Community Shaken by Shootings
TEASER: Authorities call Taiwanese church rampage ‘fueled by politically motivated hate’
PUBLISHED AT: 05/17/2022 at
BYLINE: Mike O’Sullivan
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Los Angeles
VIDEOGRAPHER:
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: ELee, Mia Bush
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Reuters, AFP
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT:
VID APPROVED BY:
TYPE:
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRODUCTION: ))
[[Immigrants from Taiwan are still trying to make sense of a shooting in Southern California where one man died. Police say a gunman shot six people in a Taiwanese church on Sunday. Mike O'Sullivan has the details.]]
((SHOW REUTERS SHOT OF CELL PHONE VIDEO OF HELICOPTER, FIRE TRUCK AND POLICE CARS))
((CREDIT: Alana Geiger))
((NARRATOR))
In the peaceful neighborhood of Laguna Woods in Southern California, one man is dead and five others are recovering from gunshot wounds.
((FOR RADIO: Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes))
((Don Barnes, Orange County Sheriff)) ((REUTERS))
“The individual involved in this heinous crime is David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas.
((SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF POLICE CARS))
((NARRATOR))
All the victims have ties to Taiwan. Police say the injured, four men and one woman, range in age from 66 to 92.
((SHOW REUTERS SHOTS OF AERIAL VIEW OF CHURCH,REUTERS SHOT OF POLICE POSTER OF JOHN CHENG, AFP SHOT OF AUTHORITIES WALKING TO PODIUM,))
It could have been much worse, if not for physician John Cheng, who helped to stop the gunman. Cheng was shot and died at the scene.
((FOR RADIO: Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.))
((Todd Spitzer, Orange County District Attorney)) ((REUTERS))
“He sacrificed himself so that others could live.”
((SHOW REUTERS SHOT OF LINE OF POLICE CARS))
((NARRATOR))
Possibly saving dozens of lives, says Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.
((Don Barnes, Orange County Sheriff)) ((REUTERS))
“Doctor Cheng is a hero in this incident.”
((SHOW REUTERS B ROLL OF CHURCH))
((NARRATOR))
Taiwan officials in Los Angeles confirmed the alleged gunman was born in Taiwan.
((SHOT REUTERS CLIP OF POLICE MUG SHOT OF CHOU))
Police say Chou was motivated by politics and hatred of Taiwan and its people. This incident comes at a time when some in Taiwan favor the island’s independence from China. Authorities say members of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church were having a lunch banquet when the gunman opened fire.
Chou was not a member of the church, but Los Angeles resident Hilary Wu, who attended services in the past, says it’s a place that welcomes strangers.
((Hilary Wu, Taiwanese Immigrant)) ((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“There’s usually a greeter at the door, so obviously we (would have) greeted him and said hi to him and made sure that he felt welcome and invited. For him to carry out a crime like this is really … I feel very powerless. I don’t know what to do.”
((SHOW REUTERS CLIP OF ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN WALKING))
((NARRATOR
This California community is home to many Asian immigrants, including ethnic Chinese from Mainland China and Taiwan. There are political disagreements.
((FOR RADIO: Paul Yang is president of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Orange County, California))
((Paul Yang, Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Orange County))
((MANDATORY CG: Skype))
“But it doesn’t justify the fact that some people can simply take an innocent life away, kill innocent people, just because they want to express their (political) stance. There’s no way that’s acceptable, absolutely not.”
((SHOW REUTERS SHOTS OF BYSTANDERS ON STREET IN FRONT OF CHURCH, AERIAL SHOT OF POLICE WALKING PAST BUILDING))
((NARRATOR))
Chou is now charged with murder and other crimes.
((Mike O’Sullivan, VOA News, Los Angeles ))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMay 18, 2022 00:18 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
