Police probe deadly shooting at Korean Christian retreat

Los Angeles – Police in southern California Wednesday were investigating a brutal shooting spree in which one person was killed and three injured at a secluded retreat operated by a Korean-based Christian group.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the suspect in the late Tuesday killings was a 69-year-old man named John Chong who was known around the retreat centre as “Uncle”. Police said that he first killed a woman and injured her husband in their bungalow and then went to another house on the property, where two residents succeeded in fighting him off.

The incident occurred at the Kkottongnae Retreat Camp, near the city of Temecula about 140 kilometres southeast of Los Angeles. Kkottongnae, which is run by the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus, means “flower village” in Korean and is a Christian social service organization founded in Korea. The camp helps orphans and the homeless – some of whom were staying at the quiet mountain retreat. (dpa)

1 dead, 3 wounded in California Korean Christian retreat shooting

TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA: A gunman opened fire at a Korean Christian retreat in Southern California Tuesday, killing one person and wounding three
others, authorities said.

The gunman was believed to be among the injured at the Kkottongnae Retreat Camp. Investigators were unsure what prompted the attack, sheriff’s spokesman Dennis Gutierrez said.

“We have some nuns that are very distraught,” Gutierrez added. He said at least two of the victims were critically injured. A nursing supervisor at the Inland Valley Regional Medical Center near the retreat said she had no information on any of the victims.

Police and emergency crews converged on the rural area off Highway 79 after receiving reports after 7 p.m. that a gunman had shot his wife, said Mario Lopez, a spokesman with the California Highway Patrol. He said one person was dead when they arrived and the other three were hospitalized.

Law enforcement officers interviewed people at what appeared to be a triage center for injured victims, but Gutierrez said the language barrier was making it difficult to get all the facts. He said investigators believe all the victims are over age 40.