Cleveland Browns fullback Johnny Stanton paid tribute to Dr. John Cheng, who was credited with attacking the gunman who opened fire in a California church, leaving at least one dead.
Stanton tweeted Monday that Cheng was his primary care physician and he wanted to make his name known.
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"I just found out the person killed in the Laguna Woods shooting yesterday was my primary care physician, Dr. John Cheng. Absolute hero. He attacked the gunman and helped save so many in that church. I just wanted his name to be known. He will be missed," Stanton tweeted.
Cheng, of Laguna Niguel who was identified as the deceased victim, leaves behind a wife and two children, according to KTTV. The 52-year-old physician charged at the shooter Sunday as the assailant opened fire on about 40 people gathered at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, which allowed for other churchgoers to hogtie the suspect before police arrived.
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Stanton said Cheng’s heroic actions showed just how great of a person he was.
"I wanted people to know doctor, Dr. John Cheng's name. And it feels weird like it coming back to me, like I have no intention of, you know, this attention being on me. I want it all to be on Dr. Cheng because, you know, just this one act that he made on Sunday saved so many lives and just demonstrates how great of a person he was," he explained to KTTV.
Stanton was born in Rancho Santa Margarita, California – about 12 miles east of Laguna Woods. He’s about to enter his third year with the Browns.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department feared that without Cheng’s actions, more could have been dead.
"Without the actions of Dr. Cheng, there is no doubt there would be numerous other deaths," officials said.
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Police have identified 68-year-old David Chou, of Las Vegas, as the suspected shooter in the attack. Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Monday that the shooting was a "politically motivated hate incident."
Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report..