A Las Vegas man pleaded not guilty in a California court on Friday to charges that he killed one person and wounded five in a shooting at a Taiwanese-American church meeting.
David Wenwei Chou (周文偉), 68, was ordered held without bail by Orange County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Herrera.
Chou is charged with murder with an enhancement for a hate crime in the killing of a 52-year-old doctor who sought to stop the attack on a May lunch gathering of largely older members of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church. He is also charged with five counts of attempted murder.
Photo: The Orange County Register via AP
Authorities have said that Chou was motivated to attack the gathering of churchgoers in Laguna Woods by hatred of Taiwan stemming from the years he lived there as a boy after his family was forced from China when the communists took control.
During his arraignment, Chou appeared in a caged section of the courtroom wearing black-rimmed glasses, a mask and yellow jail jumpsuit.
Chou spoke with the assistance of a Mandarin interpreter using a headset.
At times, he told the judge in English that he could not hear through the headset and was unsure what she wanted him to do.
She repeated her questions, which the interpreter relayed and he responded through the interpreter.
Chou is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing on Oct. 21.
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