Carnegie Hero Fund Commission – John Cheng and Billy Chang

Dr. John Cheng and Billy Chang

At least 45 people were in the social hall of a Laguna Woods, California, church following a May 15, 2022, luncheon, when a 68-year-old man armed with two semi-automatic pistols fired one of the guns multiple times, injuring five elderly congregants. As people fled or took cover, sports and family medicine doctor John Cheng, 52, from Laguna Niguel, California, was seated at a table about 25 feet away from the assailant. After hearing the first shot, Cheng stood up and charged the assailant rather than fleeing toward available exits or shelter. Cheng pushed the assailant around his upper torso and both men fell to the floor beneath a table. A struggle ensued between the two men, and the assailant shot Cheng three times in the chest. The assailant stood up and struggled to either reload or unjam his weapon. Pastor Billy Chang, 67, from Taipei City, Taiwan, stepped down from a stage about 20 feet away and advanced toward the assailant. Chang was within a few feet of the assailant when he picked up a chair and struck the assailant’s back. The strike caused the assailant to fall to the floor, facedown, and Chang held the assailant down by his head, neck, and hand. Chang shouted for others to help when three men and Chang’s wife responded. The wife took the gun to a different room and returned to the scene. The three men, Chang, and his wife used an extension cord to tie the assailant’s hands behind his back and they restrained him until police arrived. It was then that the assailant’s second gun was found in an ankle holster. He was taken into custody. The four men and one woman who were also shot survived their injuries. Chang was not injured during the incident. Cheng died from his gunshot wounds.