At the beginning of this month, a tragic incident unfolded in Manhattan’s Chinatown involving a Chinese immigrant family and a home-intruder armed with a gun. During a confrontation, the assailant discharged his weapon, fatally wounding a nearly 60-year-old mother, Ying Zhu Liu, in the head. Following a thorough manhunt, the NYPD apprehended a 16-year-old suspect on September 19, but two accomplices, believed to be connected to the shooting, are still at large.
Police reports reveal that the teenager was taken to the 5th precinct in Chinatown on the night of his arrest. He faces serious charges including murder, robbery, burglary, and possession of a weapon. Due to his age, authorities have not disclosed his name. During his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty, and sources within the police state he is not believed to be the one who fired the gun.
An insider mentioned that law enforcement had identified the suspect before his arrest, but chose to wait until they had gathered more evidence to execute a warrant at his home in the Bronx. After the arraignment, a judge ordered that the suspect be held without bail. Notably, several family members were present during the proceedings, including his mother, who was seen tearfully expressing her love with a heartfelt “I love you” directed at her son.
The handcuffed suspect, wearing a white shirt and gray pants, replied, “I love you too,” and called out to his family, “Kiss my baby.” Among the eight family members present, two were holding infants. The court indicated that upcoming hearings would address whether the suspect will be tried as an adult. Sources have also noted that the juvenile was on probation for a prior case at the time of his arrest.
Judge Stephen Antignani confirmed that the suspect has unresolved felony charges from a family court case. Reports indicate he was previously convicted in June for an assault and received a one-year probation sentence. During the subsequent arraignment, the judge raised concerns about the quality of legal representation from the Legal Aid Society, which had previously defended the juvenile in an earlier assault case and represented a witness related to this incident.
The teen’s attorney, Sam Roberts, has stated that his client was neither the shooter nor the owner of the firearm used in the crime. Meanwhile, law enforcement is actively seeking the two accomplices, including the shooter, one of whom may be linked to several other robberies in Chinatown.
On the night of September 9, Ying Zhu Liu was tragically shot in the head at 44 Market Street in Chinatown. Reports indicate that she and her husband intervened when at least two perpetrators followed him into their building with the intent to rob them.
Prosecutors shared that during the struggle in the elevator, the handgun fell but was quickly retrieved by the shooter, who subsequently fired at Ying from less than three feet away. According to the indictment, “Ms. Liu fell to the floor of the corridor, with blood gushing from her mouth and head.”
During the investigation, police utilized surveillance footage to identify the two masked suspects, including the arrested teenager. When executing a search warrant, investigators located the clothing the suspect wore during the crime, along with a 9mm shell casing.
