California churchgoers capture, hog-tie shooter
A gunman opened fire in a Southern California church during a lunch banquet on Sunday, killing one person and wounding five others, before churchgoers detained the suspect and hog-tied his legs with an electrical cord, authorities said.
Police responded to the incident that unfolded at about 1.30pm local time at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods and arrested an unidentified suspect in his 60s, Orange County undersheriff Jeff Hallock told the press.
One person died at the scene while four other victims were critically wounded. Another person suffered minor injuries, he said, adding that all the injured have been taken to hospital.
About 30 to 40 people were in the church when the shooting occurred, Hallock said.
Two handguns were found at the scene.
Local residents said there were shocked by the shooting.
"Uh, shocking. I just ... It surprises me. I mean, it's usually been pretty cool and low key. And to have this happen, I don't know what to say. I'm just dumbfounded," said Kevin Smith, a 65-year-old who lives in an apartment building across the street from the church.
"It's just too close to home for me. And maybe news people are used to seeing stuff like this, but not me. And I'm traumatised," said Elaine Theisis, a resident.
"No one should have to fear going to their place of worship. Our thoughts are with the victims, community, and all those impacted by this tragic event," Governor Gavin Newsom's office said on Twitter.
This was at least the second mass shooting of the weekend in the United States, which has been plagued with gun violence in recent years. In Buffalo, New York, on Saturday, a white 18-year-old man opened fire at a supermarket in a mostly black neighbourhood, killing 10 and wounding three in what authorities described as a purely racist attack