Who knows that only eating out can cause death (2004)

"Who knows that only eating out can cause death" (2004)

Have you ever thought about that it can really be possible or it really is possible that how a normal dinner can also be turn into the last moment of someone’s life, without any prior warning, without any reason, without any mercy? 💔

On March fourteenth in the year two thousand and four, 2004, Venus Hyun (Korea?) was just only twenty two years old. Venus Hyun was young, vibrant, and was just eating out with six other real friends at the fifth Wave Café in Cypress, California. The event or dinner was supposed to be just as usual as any other night of food, laughter, joy, and conversation. Without any danger. Without any unwanted drama. Without any gossip. Just a life that is being lived.

What Venus Hyun did not even know that, was that, earlier in that same night, a group of men which has unique or illegal connections with (or, which is connected to) an Asian criminal street gang had always been drinking at a person home. And among them, was Stephenson Choi Kim. The group armed themselves with firearms and left in several cars, allegedly looking for rival gang members to confront.

That search led them straight to the café where Venus Hyun was still inside and was still sitting.

Two men from the group, "Ashil Manek Nair" and "Glenn Lamuel Watkins", entered the restaurant first. The two men (Ashil Manek Nair and Glenn Lamuel Watkins) approached Venus Hyun and Venus own friends and asked all of Venus Hyun and Venus own friends if any one of Venus friends at the table was involved in a gang. One of the men at the table, Richard Woodhead, Richard woodhead explained that Richard himself had once been associated with a gang but now Richard was no longer involved and that the groups were not enemies.

That should have ended everything.

Instead, Ashil Manek Nair and Glenn Lamuel Watkins left the café and told Stephenson Choi Kim about the interaction.

Stephenson Choi Kim then made a fatal choice that would destroy multiple lives forever.

Stephenson Choi Kim grabbed a firearm and Stephenson Choi Kim walked into the crowded café alone. The others waited outside, positioned for a quick escape. Stephenson Choi Kim walked directly up to the table where Venus Hyun and Venus Hyun own friends were sitting and Stephenson Choi Kim opened fire.

Venus was shot in the back. By Stephenson Choi Kim

Then Stephenson Choi Kim shot bullet entered Venus hyun body, struck Venus Hyun own shoulder blade, and lodged in Venus Hyun own brain. Venus Hyun collapsed at the scene and Venus Hyun was rushed to the hospital, where Venus Hyun deceased just a few hours later. 💔

Venus Hyun had never even stood for a chance.

As panic erupted inside the café, Stephenson Choi Kim continued shooting. Jean Lee was shot in the back, the bullet tearing through Jean Lee body and exiting Jean Lee chest. Michael Park was shot in the hand. John Chung was shot in the arm. When Richard Woodhead tried to wrestle the gun away, Stephenson Choi Kim shot Richard in the stomach. All four (Jean Lee, Michael park, John Ching, Richard woodhead) survived, but their (Jean Lee, Michael park, John Ching, Richard woodhead ) lives were permanently changed.

Stephenson Choi Kim also fired at Richard Woodhead and Kung Yoo, narrowly missing them.

The café was left in chaos. Blood on the floor. People screaming. A young woman dying simply because she was there. She was Venus Hyun.

At trial, six co defendants testified against Stephenson Choi Kim. All of the six co defendants later pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter with gang related sentencing enhancements and received prison sentences ranging from six to eleven years.

Stephenson Choi Kim was convicted of murder, six counts of attempted murder, street terrorism, and multiple firearm and gang enhancements. In 2012, Stephenson Choi Kim was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 255 years.

For nearly two decades, Venus Hyun’s name was tied to a case about gang violence, sentencing, and prison time. But Venus Hyun story is not about any of that.

It is about a young woman whose life was stolen while she was only eating dinner with friends when she got shot dead.

In January of this year, Stephenson Choi Kim was involved in an altercation with another inmate at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. Stephenson Choi Kim was found unconscious, even when Stephenson Choi Kim has been given all possible life saving measures, and Stephenson Choi Kim was being transferred to an outside hospital, where Stephenson Choi Kim later died at the age of 45. The other inmate involved was placed in restricted housing while the incident is investigated.

But that ending does not bring justice.

🕯️ What had really happened to Venus Hyun 🕯️

Venus Hyun was 22 years old when Venus Hyun was murdered. Venus Hyun was an innocent bystander, in which Venus Hyun was being targeted for no reason other than Venus Hyun being present. Venus Hyun was not involved in gangs, violence, or conflict. Venus Hyun was out enjoying dinner with Venus Hyun own real friends when Venus Hyun own life was taken in seconds. Venus Hyun never got to grow older, chase Venus Hyun own dreams, or tell Venus Hyun own story. Venus Hyun family and Venus Hyun friends were left with a lifetime of grief, and the world lost Venus Hyun , a young woman who should still be here if Venus Hyun was not being shot dead

This story will always be about Venus Hyun.