Two years ago, 35-year-old young Korean American woman Christina Yuna Lee was brutally murdered with more than 40 stab wounds in her apartment after being followed by a criminal in the early morning. The killer was sentenced to 30 years to life imprisonment yesterday, reigniting high levels of concern about safety in the Asian community.
The chairman of the Asian Pacific Association and Democratic leader of the 65th District, Yu Jinshan, attended the court that day and expressed that while the sentencing of Lee’s killer was appropriate, for New York residents, crimes by homeless individuals remain a daily issue to face. “Heavy sentencing is correct, but without addressing the homeless issue, heartbreaking crimes will continue to occur,” he said.
The perpetrator, 27-year-old Assamad Nash, was being held at the Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center before pleading guilty. According to reports from Fox News, Nash had a record of multiple arrests since May 2021 and was on supervised release for other charges at the time of killing Lee. Starting from his teenage years in 2012, Nash had been arrested over a dozen times in New York and New Jersey for robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and intentional property damage.
Yu Jinshan pointed out that the street near Chrystie Street where Lee lived in Chinatown had two shelters nearby, often frequented by homeless individuals, who could potentially be repeat offenders similar to Nash. “People like the murderer of Lee Yuna are unexploded bombs, capable of exploding anytime, anywhere,” he stated. He personally witnessed several robbery and theft cases in Chinatown in recent years, highlighting how homeless crimes pose a serious threat to the community.
He cited an incident where a friend’s mother had her phone snatched and thrown onto the subway tracks at a subway station, illustrating the unpredictable nature of such harm. “A high percentage of homeless individuals have violent tendencies and show signs of mental disorder,” Yu Jinshan said. “They will use a gun if they have one, stab if they have a knife, hit if they have a stick… pushing people onto subway tracks. Homeless people are around us, making us live in fear.” He urged the government to actively address the rampant issue of street homelessness.
Given that most subway stations in New York currently lack barriers, Yu Jinshan has requested relevant authorities to install these barriers to enhance safety. He recommended that people stay away from the tracks and avoid using their phones while waiting for the subway, especially advising women to avoid returning home alone late at night.
Even though the criminal has been brought to justice, for the victim’s family, the lost life can never be recovered. On the day of the sentencing, various community organizations expressed that while the case has come to a close, it marks a new beginning where both Chinese and Korean communities stand together to combat crimes against Asians and do what needs to be done now.
Following the court ruling, Korean community organizations present at the trial immediately held a press conference. Elaine M. Chiu, a law professor at St. John’s University Law School representing a subsidiary of the New York Asian American Lawyers Association, recalled that the incident took place in February 2022, a time when hate crimes and violence against Asians in New York surged.
She emphasized that one of the efforts the New York Asian American Lawyers Association must make is to come forward to support the victims and their families in court. “We must make ourselves visible, we must show up, and speak out loudly with our voices. If there are Asian Americans harmed, the Asian American Lawyers Association is always ready to help,” she said.
Chen Zuozhou, the executive director of the Chinatown Business Improvement District who has long been dedicated to the Chinatown community, also attended the sentencing that day. He stated, “Whether you are attacking Chinese or Korean people, attacking one is attacking all of us.”
On Earth Day in April, he organized volunteers to plant flowers and grass in Roosevelt Park opposite 111 Chrystie Street, where Lee Yuna had lived before her death, as a memorial to honor her. “We will further undertake such actions,” he mentioned. During Lee Yuna’s father’s victim impact statement in court, he concluded with a poem dedicated to his daughter.
“We have prepared over twenty poems, made in various languages, which can be placed in smart devices and applied to be placed in nearby parks for visitors to listen to by pressing a button,” he said.