Family of Christina Yuna Lee and members of the New York Metropolis Asian group urged lawmakers Tuesday to call a homeless shelter in reminiscence of the late inventive producer who was slaughtered by a vagrant in her Chinatown condominium.
Her grieving father, Sungkon Lee, stated he needed the “Christina Yuna Lee Memorial Shelter” in honor of his 35-year-old daughter, who was stabbed to demise by convicted killer Assamad Nash in 2022.
“We would like Christina’s reminiscence to be remembered and to stop others having an identical destiny,” Sungkon stated in a press convention after Nash, 27, was sentenced to 30-years-to-life in jail in Manhattan Supreme Court docket.
“It’s going to contribute to stopping recurrence of comparable incidents sooner or later and will probably be a approach to honor and keep in mind Christina,” he stated.
Nash, who was homeless on the time of the killing, adopted Christina into her Chrystie Avenue condominium and stabbed her over 40 instances within the early morning of Feb. 13, 2022.
Chatting with The Put up after the press convention outdoors court docket, the sufferer’s devastated dad added: “When homeless folks see my daughter’s title, they’ll take into consideration the incident.”
Charles Yoon, the lawyer for the Lee household, stated that having a shelter named after Christina, who was of Korean-American descent, will make folks always remember about her demise.
Her demise sparked group leaders to demand motion from the town when assaults towards Asian American Pacific Islander New Yorkers skyrocketed in 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a lot publicity as there’s now, a couple of years down the road they could not keep in mind,” Yoon stated.
“By having her title on the shelter, it should reinforce to folks what occurred and that it was perpetrated by somebody who was homeless,” he stated. “We wish to honor her and memorialize her in order that it doesn’t occur once more.”
Gene Kang, a member of the Korean American Legal professionals Affiliation of Higher New York, stated that he hoped the town would honor the household’s request with a homeless shelter within the Chinatown space.
“Asian Individuals within the metropolis proceed to concern for his or her security, and these assaults should cease,” Kang stated, including that he hopes prosecutors and regulation enforcement will “stay vigilant” in assaults towards Asian Individuals.
Sungkon Lee additionally slammed the NYPD, accusing cops of failing to assist his daughter at the same time as she was heard screaming for assist from inside her condominium — allegations he’s made in a still-pending lawsuit towards the division.
“The decisive explanation for Christina’s demise occurred on the scene of the incident. We consider that there was an insufficient response by the police who arrived. The primary mission of NYC and its police is to guard the security of its residents,” he stated.
“My household is presently pursuing a lawsuit towards New York Metropolis. However what my household actually needs shouldn’t be compensation,” the dad continued. “As a substitute, we would like Christina’s reminiscence to be remembered and to stop others from having an identical destiny.”
