Chinatown community turns out to remember Woom Sing Tse
CHICAGO - A visitation was held Wednesday at Chinese Christian Union Church in Chinatown for Woom Sing Tse, 71, who was gunned down last week.
Tse – a well-known community member in Chinatown – was brutally killed last Tuesday, Dec. 7 just one block from his home, near Haines Elementary School. According to police, he was shot in broad daylight while walking from his home to get a newspaper.
"He’s a good guy, for Chinatown, everybody knows him," said Tommy Wong, who attended Tse’s visitation.
Police said the suspect, 23-year-old Alphonso Joyner, fired at Tse 22 times – first from inside his vehicle, then at a close range after getting out of his vehicle. Joyner was arrested about an hour after the shooting on the Kennedy Expressway. He is charged with first-degree murder.
Alphonso Joyner and Woom Sing Tse
"We live in the community and it’s just been unbelievably tragic to hear the news and experience this," said Paul Ozinga, family friend. "We’re all praying for their family to work through this very difficult time. We’re just very sorry to see something so tragic like this happen. It’s completely unnecessary and we just love them and the whole family dearly."
A former restaurant owner, Tse was well-known in the community. He was married with three children and several grandchildren.
"He clearly was a great father and a great family man," said Ozinga.
Those who knew Tse said they are shocked and saddened by his homicide.
"I was blown away, I was just so stunned. We just weren’t ready for it, nor did we grasp what was going on," said Jimmy Lee, family friend. "I have great memories of walking down the streets here, going to some of these coffee shops; he loved playing ping pong, he loved having coffee with his friends, he loved going to some of the shops."
Mayor Lori Lightfoot also attended Wednesday’s visitation.
"The thing the family wanted to know is ‘Why?’ Why did this good man following his daily routine get taken from them in such a horrible, horrendous, painful way, and we owe them that answer," said Mayor Lightfoot. "We have to do everything that we can to make sure that [the suspect] is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Tse’s funeral will be held Thursday morning.
Joyner is due back in court on Dec. 29.