SEATTLE — We are learning more about Eina Kwon, the Belltown restaurant owner remembered for her lovely demeanor.
Kwon was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack this weekend, and a friend who organized this Gofundme said her 2-year-old son will now have to grow up without his mom.
As Kwon's husband makes funeral arrangements for her and their baby girl who tragically died too, KING 5 has been attempting to arrange interviews with city leaders, but they have not yet opened themselves up to media questioning.
Instead of a press conference, Seattle Police Department's Chief Adrian Diaz released a video he produced by his department for Youtube.
“We are doing everything we can to make this community safe," Diaz said. "Putting our officers in the right places, where we believe the shootings might be occurring. We wanna prevent and intervene, but we also wanna focus on enforcement.”
Meantime, Mayor Bruce Harrell told KING 5 he was busy traveling Thursday, so his office instead referred us to a statement, reading in part, "[We] must remain relentless in our efforts to take guns off our street, increase law enforcement and behavioral health resources, advance community-based solutions to gun violence, and hold those who cause harm accountable for their actions.”
Andrew Lewis, the city councilmember representing District 7 where the crime occurred, provided a statement which said in part, "It’s clear we must be doing more to keep our community safe. That’s why I supported full funding for Chief Adrian Diaz’s police hiring plan.”
Michael Hoyle, who owns the retail shop next door to the Kwons' restaurant, told KING 5 he was friends with the victims.
“I know lip service when I see it," Hoyle said. "I know action when I see it. "Small business is suffering... to be frankly honest, I’m angry. I want action.”
Instead of throwing up his hands, he’s rolling up his sleeves. Hoyle said he set up a meeting with a city council member for next week to share his ideas for a safer downtown by building a network of safety kiosks.
“You can go up to this screen and report a crime, or drug dealing, or something that’s happening in your neighborhood, and nobody has to know but they will send the right department," Hoyle said.
Hoyle is calling on public service positions to increase to meet the demand these may bring.
"We create a new department," Hoyle said. "This is the smartest city in the world – I don’t care – all the tech businesses are here. Why don’t we have the solutions?”
Hoyle hopes the funding can come from the city's budget through the mayor's Downtown Activation Plan.
If successful in his proposal, Hoyle is considering dedicating the network of kiosks to his dearly departed friend Kwon.
“She was an amazing woman," Hoyle said.
Formal charges will likely be filed on Friday against the alleged shooter in this crime, a 30-year-old man. He waived his right to appear in court Wednesday where a judge found probable cause to hold him for first-degree murder.