Background

On Sunday, May 15th, 2022, Dr. John Cheng took his mother to a Taiwanese Church in Southern California.

The name of the Church is Geneva Presbyterian Church.

The Church is located in Laguna Woods, Orange County, California.

Unfortunately, a gun man came in.

To protect the Church Congregants Dr. John Cheng got between the the gun and the church attendees.

 

Portrait

Link

Videos

Memory

NBCLA

1. “Hero” Doctor Killed in Church Shooting Charged Gunman, Sheriff Says | NBCLA
   • Profile
     • The Orange County sheriff describes the heroic actions of the man killed in the OC church shooting — 52-year-old Dr. John Cheng, who saved many lives when he charged at the shooter.
   • Videos
     • Video #1
       Channel:- NBCLA
       Date Published:- 2022-May-16th
       Date Added:- 2022-May-19th
       Link

ABC7

1. Exclusive chilling photos show moment Laguna Woods church gunman was subdued by heroic congregants
   • Profile
     • Exclusive images obtained by shows the moment David Chou was subdued by heroic congregants inside the Geneva Presbyterian Church on El Toro Road in Laguna Woods.
   • Videos
     • Video #1
       Channel:- ABC7
       Date Published:- 2022-May-16th
       Date Added:- 2022-May-19th
       Link

CBS Los Angeles

1. Community remembers Dr. John Cheng, killed Sunday in Geneva Presbyterian Church
   • Videos
     • Video #1
       Channel:- CBS Los Angeles
       Date Published:- 2022-May-17th
       Date Added:- 2022-May-19th
       Link

Church

Church Demographics

1. Most of the church’s members are older, highly educated Taiwanese immigrants
2. The average age of the church is 80

 

Life in Words

Orange County Register

Link

Laguna Beach, California

Joe Cockrell

1. “I’m so upset and sad,” said Joe Cockrell, a Laguna Beach resident who has been Cheng’s patient for 10 years. “I heard some people talking about how he wasn’t even a member of the church but had taken his mother there for a special event. Then I heard the name ‘Dr. Cheng’ and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ “
2. Cockrell then tuned into the sheriff’s news conference where his worst fears were confirmed. as photos of Cheng, who is survived by his wife and two children, were displayed.
3. “I remember my first visit with him,” Cockrell said. “His bedside manner was so nice. He wanted to know everything about me. What my diet was, did I drink enough water? It didn’t matter if you were seeing him for a broken arm, he would still ask all about your life.”
4. When his insurance changed through his job, Cockrell said he always made sure that Cheng would fit in the new plan before he signed up.
5. Cheng also was a martial arts enthusiast, and he was big on youth sports and keeping children and young adults active.
6. “There were all these athletes in his office,” Cockrell said. “And, if they were a lower income kid, he’d give them a free physical.”
7. Once during a visit, he said he mentioned to Cheng that he was raising money for the Costa Mesa Boys and Girls Club’s efforts to improve their facilities.
8. “I joked with him about donating,” Cockrell said. “When he came back with the prescription, he also handed me a $500 check. I was really floored.”

Aliso Viejo, California

Who and Where Is Aliso Viejo?

Aliso Viejo (Spanish for “Old Sycamore”) is a city in the San Joaquin Hills of southern Orange County, California.

It is bordered by the cities of Laguna Beach on the west and southwest, Laguna Hills on the east, Laguna Niguel on the southeast, and Laguna Woods on the north.

Aliso Niguel High School, Aliso Viejo, California

Andrew Mashburn

1. Andrew Mashburn, the athletic director at Aliso Niguel, said Cheng was the football team’s physician and ran yearly physicals with all the student-athletes.
2. “We just finished working with him last Wednesday where he personally cleared 400 of our student-athletes for participation in athletics for the 22/23 school year,” Mashburn said. “Dr. Cheng was an amazing man. Kind, caring, happy. He was calm, cool and collected and we were blessed to be able to work with him and his staff. Such a devastating loss for our community.”
3. Echoing others’ sentiments, he added, Cheng “would be that man that would put everybody’s needs in front of his own.”

Mike Callahan ( Aliso Niguel Varsity Football Head Coach )

1. Aliso Niguel varsity football head coach Mike Callahan, who graduated from the school in 2005, couldn’t remember a time that Cheng wasn’t the team doctor.
2. Callahan said he first found out via email that Dr. Cheng died in the attack. “What I read was a gut punch,” he said. “It’s the worst thing I’ve read in a long time.”

Dave Elkins ( Aliso Niguel High Varsity Girls Lacrosse Coach )

1. Aliso Niguel High varsity girls lacrosse coach Dave Elkins has sent many of his injured athletes to Cheng and, was also a patient.
2. All of my four kids when they were athletes went to him, too,” said Elkins, who started the Aliso Niguel girls lacrosse program in 2008.
3. He was just a great guy. Very strong in his faith and very strong in his belief in this country, very strong in this idea of doing the right thing.

NFL

Johnny Stanton ( NFL Cleveland Browns Fullback )

1. Johnny Stanton tweeted Monday that Cheng was his primary physician.
2. “Absolute hero,” Stanton wrote. “He attacked the gunman and helped save so many in that church. I just wanted his name to be known.”

 

Crediting

Crediting my Bro, Animesh.

He liked the story on LinkedIn.

 

Referenced Work

1. Orange County Register
   • ‘Dr. John Cheng saw the gun and immediately took action’ in Laguna Woods church shooting
     Link
2. ABC 7 Eye Witness News
   • Deadly OC church shooting was ‘politically-motivated hate incident,’ authorities say
     Link