Christina Yuna Lee, NYC woman stalked and murdered in Chinatown worked to fight Asian hate crimes
Christina Yuna Lee, a Korean-American woman who was stalked and killed in her Chinatown apartment, would be the first to pick up the banner and fight against hate crimes, a co-worker said in a social media post.
Cops have stopped short of saying the 35-year-old digital marketing producer was a hate crime victim. But her death has been a rallying cry against people who have targeted Asians, a cause very near and dear to Lee’s heart, her heartbroken friend said.
Kenneth Takanami, a colleague at Splice, the online digital platform where Lee worked, said they got off on the right foot, but on the completely wrong subject.
“Christina started at Splice around the same time as the Asian hate crime shootings in Atlanta. It was an emotional and gutting introduction,” Takanami wrote on Instagram and Twitter, days after Lee was killed.
“We met on a call with the other Asians in our work community to support one another. Afterwards, I reached out to her and we talked about how we could galvanize this moment to do some really important work at Splice”.
He said their commitment and shared connection helped him through a difficult period.
“After the Atlanta attacks, we and the other Asians at Splice formed a channel to support one another,” Takanami wrote of the Atlanta spa shootings in March, 2021, during which eight people were killed including six Asian women.
“The thought of folks we didn’t know being senselessly murdered struck us all deeply. We had long conversations about how we could continue to be there for our Splice community. The last and most recent message in this channel was Christina wishing us all a happy Lunar New Year.”
Nearly two weeks later, Lee was stalked and stabbed more than 40 times by a homeless intruder who followed her and pushed his way into her Chrystie St. apartment early Sunday morning. A neighbor called 911 after hearing her desperate cries for help.
On Tuesday, the medical examiner officially ruled her death a homicide, determining she suffered stab wounds to her neck and torso.
Takanami said Lee’s death has left him wondering where to turn.
“There is not much else to say,” the friend wrote. “Christina was an irreplaceable presence. Heartbroken or devastated doesn’t begin to cover it. ‘Now what?’ is the question that keeps ringing. What do we do as a community? What could we have done differently? There are no answers, just endless questions.”
They are questions that have puzzled New Yorkers from every corner of the city, from police to politicians to people just walking the streets.
Some of the discussion has focused on bail reform and the recent changes in state law that allowed Lee’s accused killer, Assamad Nash, 25, to be out of jail despite a long history of arrests, including one for a violent attack.
Other discussions involve the need for improved mental health intervention.
Takanami is urging mourners and outraged New Yorkers to stay focused.
Life is fragile,” he wrote. “Amidst all the headlines and takes and posts, don’t lose sight of the human loss at the center of all of this. Hold tight those you love.”
With John Annese
