Christina Yuna Lee was a 35-year-old Korean American creative and digital producer in New York City. Early Sunday morning, surveillance video shows a man following Lee up six flights of stairs and into her Chinatown apartment. As neighbors heard Lee scream “Help me! Call 911!” the suspect stabbed her to death with what is believed to be a knife from her own kitchen. 

The alleged murderer, Assamad Nash, has a history of prior arrests. According to the New York Times, Nash has been arrested at least four times last year on misdemeanor charges, including assault, harassment and selling a fare card. Online court records show that three of the cases remain open.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “This is the definition of horrific. [NYPD] is investigating this incident and we stand with our Asian community today. The suspect is in custody, but the conditions that created him remain. The mission of this administration is clear: We won’t let this violence go unchecked.”

Currently, NYPD is not investigating this murder as a hate crime. 

🕊 Fly high, Christina. The Asian community will not forget you.