California Church Shooting Left 1 Dead, 4 Critically Injured; Churchgoers Detained Gunman

A California church shooting killed one person and left four others critically wounded when a gunman opened fire inside a Southern California church.

The New York Times reported that churchgoers have managed to overpower the gunman and hogtie him, preventing him to kill more people, according to authorities.

Officials noted that most of the victims were Taiwanese. However, they are still looking into the matter to find out if they had been specifically targeted.

Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said that the motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.

Braun said that four of the victims were in critical condition, while another was being treated for minor injuries.

The spokeswoman for the department said that the person killed was found inside the church.

California Church Shooting Gunman

Orange County Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said during a news conference that police have a suspect in custody.

Hallock noted in a CNN News report that the gunman is believed to be an Asian man in his 60s who does not live in the area. He added that they do not yet have a motive for the shooting.

The undersheriff said that a group of churchgoers were able to hogtie his legs with an extension cord and confiscate at least two handguns from him. Hallock added that the churchgoers displayed "exceptional heroism" in stopping the suspect.

The Orange County undersheriff said that around 30 to 40 people were in attendance at the reception.

Todd Spitzer, the Orange County district attorney, said the unnamed gunman was armed with two semiautomatic weapons.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said on Twitter that it is currently involved in the investigation of the incident.

Authorities are currently questioning more than 30 people who were inside the church.

Rev. Albany Lee, who presides over the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, said that no one recognizes the shooter. He added that the receptionist asked the gunman who he was, to which he replied that "he was there before."

Lisa Bartlett, an Orange County supervisor, said that the church shooting had just come a day after the killings in Buffalo, where 11 people who were shot were Black.

U.S. Shooting

Recently, an 18-year-old white gunman opened fire at a supermarket in a Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York state, according to an Aljazeera News report.

The gunman was armed with an assault-style rifle and was wearing body armor. He was arrested shortly after the shooting incident.

Officials noted that the gunman drove to Buffalo from his home in a New York state country "hours away" to start the shooting, which he broadcasted on the internet.

Joseph Gramaglia, the Buffalo Police Commissioner, noted that the suspect killed nine customers and one retired police officer working as an armed security guard.

The gunman was later identified as Payton Gendron, according to two law enforcement officials.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: 1 killed in shooting at California church - from ABC News