California shooter may face death penalty if convicted, prosecutor says

The district attorney in Orange County, California suggested the death penalty is on the table for a man accused of opening fire on a Taiwanese church congregation killing one and injuring five others.

"The subject is eligible for life without the possibility of parole or death," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer told reporters on Monday, adding that "at some point in time down the road I will have to determine as the district attorney whether, or not we will be seeking death."

Spitzer told KTTV-Los Angeles in a later interview that the death penalty is the most "solemn punishment we have in society" and that he won’t be "rushed" into making that decision.

"This is a very serious crime and I’m looking at both the trauma and impact to the victims at the same time I’m obligated and will consider his age, whether or not he had a criminal background, other mental issues that may have been going on," Spitzer said.

"This is a death penalty case," Spitzer said when pressed about California’s moratorium on death penalties while explaining that California Gov. Gavin Newsom won’t be "governor forever."