US Gun Violence: 1 Killed, 5 Injured In California Church Shooting, Second Attack In 2 Days. Suspect In Custody

The suspect in Laguna Woods churchshooting case is described as an Asian man in his 60s. He was taken into custody and two firearms were recovered at the scene.

A police yellow tape is seen after a shooting inside Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, California, on May 15, 2022. One person was dead and four people were "critically" injured in a shooting at a church near Los Angeles, law enforcement said Sunday, just one day after a gunman killed 10 people at a grocery store in New York state. (RINGO CHIU / AFP)

Source : AFP

New Delhi: Just one day after a gunman killed 10 people at a grocery store in New York state, another shooting incident took place at a church near Los Angeles on Sunday wherein one person died, while five people were injured, out of which four were revealed to be "critically wounded". According to a statement, Orange County Sheriff's investigators have arrested a man suspected of entering Laguna Woods church and shooting multiple victims during a lunch banquet.

"At 1:26 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, 2022, deputies responded to reports of a man with a gun at Geneva Presbyterian Church in the 24000 block of El Toro Road. When deputies arrived, they found the congregants had detained the suspect by tackling him then tying his legs with extension cords," the Orange County Sheriff's Department stated.

"Deputies located one deceased individual and five others who were injured. They immediately began lifesaving measures until paramedics with the Orange County Fire Authority arrived to provide advanced critical care. Five individuals were taken to local hospitals where they are being treated," it further informed.

The Department revealed that the suspect is described as an Asian man in his 60s. He was taken into custody and two firearms were recovered at the scene. "The man is not believed to live in the area and investigators are working to determine his city of residence and whether he has any connections to the church or its congregants. The identity of the suspect will be released after he is booked into the Orange County Jail," the statement read.

"The investigation remains ongoing. The Orange County Fire Authority, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting in the incident," it adds.

The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom informed that it was working with local officials to monitor the situation, while also writing that "No one should have to fear going to their place of worship. Our thoughts are with the victims."

Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter, who represents Orange County in Washington, called the shooting "upsetting and disturbing news, especially less than a day after a mass shooting in Buffalo." "This should not be our new normal," she stressed

According to the sheriff's department, the church is located in the town of Laguna Woods, 45 miles (70 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.

The second shooting incident in two days comes as President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are slated to travel to Buffalo on Tuesday "to grieve with the community that lost ten lives in a senseless and horrific mass shooting," as announced by the White House.