Suspect indicted on 90 hate crime charges in Southern California church shooting

A federal grand jury has indicted a suspect on 98 counts, including 90 hate crime counts, in connection with a shooting at a Taiwanese church in Irvine, California, nearly a year ago which left one man dead and five others wounded, authorities said.

The Justice Department reported Thursday that 69-year-old David Chou of Las Vegas was indicted Wednesday on 45 counts each of obstructing free exercise of religious beliefs by force, and violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Authorities said that Chou entered the Geneva Presbyterian Church on May 15, 2022, during a lunch banquet following a morning service and opened fire on a mostly elderly group of 45 people.