Mourners gathered at 4th Avenue and Lenora Street in the Belltown neighborhood, where the incident occurred on June 13. They held a moment of silence and then marched to the Aburiya Bento House run by Kwon and her husband, according to local TV station KIRO 7.
The ‘Unite for Safety’ rally began at 11 a.m., the same time as the incident.
On June 13, Kwon, who was eight months pregnant, was shot while on her way to the restaurant in a white Tesla with her husband, Sung-hyun Kwon (37).
Kwon was taken to a nearby hospital immediately after the shooting but did not survive. Medical staff performed an emergency delivery to save her unborn child, who also died.
Reports indicate that Kwon suffered four gunshot wounds to her head and lungs. Her husband, Sung-hyun Kwon, was shot in the arm, but his injuries were not life-threatening.
During the rally, mourners observed a 30-minute moment of silence in front of the restaurant, sharing their grief and sorrow with each other while offering funeral flowers and displaying posters.
Susanna Keilman, the organizer of the march, said, “Safety is inclusive. That’s the best form of inclusivity, making sure everyone is safe regardless of your race, regardless of your sexual orientation. We want everyone to be safe.”
It remains unclear whether the suspect, Cordell Maurice Goosby (30), was motivated by discrimination or hatred toward Asians.
However, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Incident Reporting System, the percentage of violent crimes involving Asians in Washington State is 5 percent, which is higher than the national average of 2 percent.
Peter Kwon, a participant in the rally, said, “If it’s not connected directly to a hate crime, the problem is that victims of violence are typically Asian American, and that number is increasing. So, regardless of whether it’s a hate crime or not, we need to reduce the amount of violence where victims are AAPIs.”
Kwon’s funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, June 23, at Acacia Memorial Park (14951 Bothell Way, Bothell, WA) in Bothell, Washington.
In an email interview with local Korean-American media outlet Joy Seattle, Husband Kwon expressed his grief, saying, “I’m going to say my last goodbyes to my wife, Eina Kwon, who has passed away. I hope it will be a happy and joyful last goodbye to a better place.”
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe (https://gofund.me/6954e160) has been established to raise money for the couple’s tragic story.
The fundraiser has exceeded its initial goal of $100,000, reaching $236,388 as of June 20. So far, 3,700 people have made donations, and 181 donors have left comments mourning the deceased.
BY HOONSIK WOO [support@koreadaily.com]
