Emotional vigil held for beloved Chinatown grandfather shot and killed
CHICAGO - On Friday, there was raw emotion in Chinatown where a father, grandfather and pillar of the community was remembered.
"I'm so grateful to be his daughter and I will miss him dearly," said Susan Lam.
Before retiring, 71-year-old Woom Sing Tse worked as a longtime restaurant owner in Chinatown. He put all three of us children through college.
"He loved to play table tennis, pickup basketball and enjoyed just taking regular strolls around the neighborhood," said William Tse, Woom Tse’s son.
Woom Sing Tse and family | Family photo/provided
With umbrellas and candles in hand, hundreds of people stood in solidarity, honoring Tse's legacy.
The community is still shocked by the brazen murder.
"In this instance, we apprehended an offender within an hour. It was fantastic work by Chicago police," said Commander Don Jerome.
Tse was shot a block away from his home Tuesday in broad daylight, right across the street from Haynes Elementary School where his daughter teaches.
"Even on his last day here, he was watching my firstborn," said Corina Set, Tse’s daughter.
Alphonso Joyner, 23, has been charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors say he drove up and shot Tse 22 times and at one point, shot him again as he laid on the ground.
Alphonso Joyner and Woom Sing Tse
The motive is still unknown and Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said, "sometimes people just do evil things."