Community honors Dr. John Cheng, man who helped stop Laguna Woods gunman

The floral arrangements surrounding the memorial for the heroic doctor that died as he rushed the alleged gunman who opened fire during a church event at Laguna Woods. 

"He was really helpful and comforting to my husband's parents," said patient Jacqueline Beaumont. " He's seen our kids. We've come to this practice all the time. He's always very kind." 

Dr. John Cheng, 52, was killed after rushing the accused gunman,  68-year-old David Chou, who opened fire at a Taiwanese Church in Laguna Woods.

Cheng had brought his Taiwanese mother to the church on Sunday for a special luncheon. That care and consideration were witnessed by Beaumont, whose mother-in-law is also Taiwanese.

"My mother-in-law really trusts people who can speak her language, [know] her culture," said Beaumont. "He immediately put her at ease."

The gunman wounded five others, however, because of Cheng's heroic efforts, other parishioners' were able to subdue the suspect and hogtie him. 

Many of his colleagues said the family physician worked with local schools and gave countless hours to the community. 

"The way he's affected people's lives," said executive assistant Crystal Cole. "He really was a truly compassionate, caring man who took care of everybody else before himself." 

Cheng was trained in sports medicine, practiced martial arts and was well-known for his true healing touch — being a good listener. 

"Patients would come in here for office visits and if you needed two hours of his time, you were going to get two hours of his time," said office manager Erica Triplett. "And those that had to wait understood because they knew that they needed that [and] he was going to give them that." 

Cheng's office manager said he knocked on doors to introduce himself to the community when he opened his practice about 20 years ago.