Kin of Christina Yuna Lee and members of the New York Metropolis Asian neighborhood urged lawmakers Tuesday to call a homeless shelter in reminiscence of the late inventive producer who was slaughtered by a vagrant in her Chinatown condo.
Her grieving father, Sungkon Lee, mentioned 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 wish Christina’s reminiscence to be remembered and to stop others having an identical destiny,” Sungkon mentioned in a press convention after Nash, 27, was sentenced to 30-years-to-life in jail in Manhattan Supreme Court docket.
“It would contribute to stopping recurrence of comparable incidents sooner or later and it is going to be a technique to honor and bear in mind Christina,” he mentioned.
Nash, who was homeless on the time of the killing, adopted Christina into her Chrystie Avenue condo and stabbed her over 40 instances within the early morning of Feb. 13, 2022.
Chatting with The Publish after the press convention exterior courtroom, the sufferer’s devastated dad added: “When homeless individuals see my daughter’s identify, they’ll take into consideration the incident.”
Charles Yoon, the legal professional for the Lee household, mentioned that having a shelter named after Christina, who was of Korean-American descent, will make individuals always remember about her demise.
Her demise sparked neighborhood leaders to demand motion from 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, just a few years down the road they might not bear in mind,” Yoon mentioned.
“By having her identify on the shelter, it would reinforce to individuals what occurred and that it was perpetrated by somebody who was homeless,” he mentioned. “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 Larger New York, mentioned that he hoped town would honor the household’s request with a homeless shelter within the Chinatown space.
“Asian Individuals within the metropolis proceed to worry for his or her security, and these assaults should cease,” Kang mentioned, including that he hopes prosecutors and legislation 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 condo — 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 protection of its residents,” he mentioned.
“My household is at present pursuing a lawsuit towards New York Metropolis. However what my household actually needs will not be compensation,” the dad continued. “As an alternative, we wish Christina’s reminiscence to be remembered and to stop others from having an identical destiny.”
