'Stop the gun violence!': Concerned citizens gather in wake of Chaviz Nguyen's death
Twenty-three hours after witnessing his son's final breaths on a downtown Springfield street, Chea Nguyen mustered the strength to speak to a crowded venue.
Many of the grieving patrons inside Mimi's Soulfood were friends and family members of Chaviz Nguyen, who was shot and killed in his vehicle on Tuesday night. Others were complete strangers offering their support, some sharing emotional testimonies of loved ones who had also succumbed to gun violence.
The death of the beloved 26-year-old sparked outrage in a city that has experienced a string of shooting deaths, a steady and unsettling trend in recent years.
Trudging through feelings of bereavement and anger, Chea Nguyen showed poise when offering a short message.
"I know we have a lot of anger in our heart, but it's not the way to go," said Nguyen, owner of Lucky Time restaurant on Walnut Street. "I hope that the (police) find the killer and bring him to justice."
Chaviz Nguyen was the third person in 18 days to have been shot and killed in Springfield. Since 2020, there have been 90 homicides, the overwhelming majority by way of a gun.
The most recent case prompted a swift response from Action Center, a local group spearheaded by Pastor Roger Franklin geared toward curbing violence and providing a positive influence on community lives.
Franklin helped quickly organize Wednesday night's gathering at Mimi's to support the Nguyen family and address the issues he believes have led to the uptick in gun violence.
Prayers were recited, songs were sung and Franklin opened the meeting by naming the 17 people who have been killed in Springfield this year. Springfield NAACP leader Kai Sutton also offered words of concern.
Franklin spoke with compassion and frustration, pointing to the need for a more concerted and collective effort he said is needed from citizens, religious leaders and city leaders to help stop the bloodshed.
"Everybody in our city should be concerned at the rate of (these killings) happening," said Franklin.
Displeasure was aimed in many directions by the several people who spoke Wednesday, ranging from violent music lyrics, social media and what was perceived as a lack of effort by the Springfield Police Department.
Remembering Nguyen
Shortly after the gathering of concerned citizens at Mimi's, Springfield police arrested a man and two juveniles in connection to Nguyen's death. Elysha Bedell, 19, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and four counts of armed criminal action.
Nguyen, 26, and his pregnant girlfriend were found with bullet wounds around 8:30 p.m. in a car near the intersection of Campbell Avenue and College Street. Nguyen died at the scene and the Springfield Police Department said the woman suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
Gunshots reportedly came from another vehicle and the shooter immediately fled the scene, according to SPD, which said it received a report of vehicle-to-vehicle gunshots near the intersection of Grant Avenue and College Street, blocks from where the victims were found.
More: Incidents at Park Central and near Drury increase Springfield shots-fired numbers
No other details were provided Thursday as a probable cause statement had yet to be made public.
Chea Nguyen and other relatives were at a nearby restaurant when they were alerted of the shooting. They rushed to the scene to see emergency response teams performing CPR.
Dozens of friends, family members and former teachers and coaches took to social media Wednesday to remember Nguyen, a father and former Parkview football standout who attended Lincoln University before working at BMW of Springfield.
He was widely described as a great friend and hard-working family man who avoided trouble.
"Why did this have to happen to him?" a tearful relative said. "He didn't do anything to anybody."
Victim remains hospitalized
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Nguyen's pregnant girlfriend, Haley Frillman, who remained hospitalized Thursday.
"This left Chaviz’s son, Calize, without his dad and Haley late in her pregnancy without the love of her life. Our kids are struggling to understand such a devastating and tragic loss."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Concerned citizens gather in wake of Chaviz Nguyen's death
