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Canadian police have revealed the identity of a homeless man who was stabbed to death by a group of teenagers last month.
Ken Lee, 59, a Hong Kong immigrant seeking housing in Toronto, was beaten and stabbed to death by eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16.
Lee is believed to have been attacked while defending a friend of his who the girls were trying to steal a bottle of liquor from.
Each of the girls was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, with Toronto police Detective Sergeant Terry Browne calling the brutal murder “shocking” and “disturbing.”
Ken Lee, 59, a Hong Kong immigrant seeking housing in Toronto, was beaten and stabbed to death by eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16.
The horrific stabbing occurred near where York Street, University Avenue and Front Street West meet at around 12:15 a.m. Sunday. The girls, who had met on social media before, are believed to have been trying to steal the victim’s alcohol when they attacked him.
Lee was pronounced dead upon arrival at a Toronto hospital after the vicious attack.
Authorities have been working to notify their relatives about the tragedy, according to CBC News.
A vigil for Lee was held at the downtown Toronto Homeless Memorial. Visitors remembered him as a quiet person and a devoted friend.
“No one was surprised that he would stand up for someone like that,” Sanctuary Toronto spokesman and pastor Johnson Hatlem said of Lee.
Pictured: The homeless shelter where the victim was staying before he was stabbed. Police believe all eight teens are ‘equally guilty’ in gruesome street murder
Browne said Lee began living in Toronto’s shelter system in September.
“He has a very supportive family in the area, so I wouldn’t necessarily call him homeless. Maybe just recently with a bit of bad luck,’ he said.
Roberto Sanchez, who often holds the door open at a nearby Tim Hortons, told CTV News: “He was nice. He was generous. He was a kind-hearted person. Everyone has problems with him. But overall, I didn’t see him as a threat to anyone.
‘For those young people to do that to her, it’s heartbreaking. I can not believe it.
Detective Sergeant Terry Browne said the murder was “shocking”. He revealed that a total of eight teenage girls had been charged with murder after the man, believed to be homeless, was stabbed to death on the streets of Toronto, Canada.
A resident of the nearby Strathcona Hotel where Lee was staying told him CTV News Toronto that the teens were drinking and tried to steal alcohol from Lee’s friends.
Lee was with a friend in a plaza northwest of the intersection of University Avenue and York Street when he was attacked.
“They were sitting on a bench, drinking alcohol from a mickey and smoking a cigarette,” witness Ken Webber said.
I saw the aftermath of the attack. The teens were “standing outside the Union Station stairway, arguing, yelling and yelling,” she added.
A police source said the toronto sun the girls were ‘like wild animals’.
They are all juvenile delinquents. They attacked this guy like a bunch of wild animals. He tried to fight them off and they kept coming back,” the source said. He was just minding his own business, he wasn’t bothering anyone.
Browne said the victim began living in the Toronto shelter system in September. She said they have not been able to contact certain family members and until they do they will not release her name.
Browne said the crime even shocked the police.
“I’ve been in the police for almost 35 years and you think you’ve seen it all,” he said. “Anyone who isn’t surprised to hear something like this has clearly thrown in the towel and said anything is possible in this world.
“Eight young girls and most of them under the age of 16. If this isn’t alarming and shocking to everyone, then frankly we’re all in trouble.”
Browne said the same girls got into an altercation earlier in the evening in the area. She declined to reveal any further details, but confirmed that they had met on social media.
The teens came from “various parts of the city,” according to police.
“We don’t know how or why they met that night and why the destination was downtown Toronto.” Brown added. We don’t know how long they knew each other. He wouldn’t describe them as a gang at this point.
Mayor John Tory called the murder “unacceptable” and said he was “extremely concerned” by the young age of the accused girls.
“While we continue to learn details of this murder, I am deeply disturbed by the allegations made public thus far. Everyone in our city deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,’ he said.
‘It makes me so sad to know that a man has lost his life in this way. Toronto police have made multiple arrests in this case. I am extremely concerned by the young age of the defendants and by the number of people allegedly involved in this murder.
A witness said Kenney, who was named locally as the deceased, was sitting with a female friend in a plaza northwest of the intersection of University Avenue and York Street (above) when they were attacked.
Browne said they were involved in a ‘swarm’. He declined to say if he was videotaped, adding that they are checking to see if similar attacks have been posted online.
‘Maybe these were eight young women who wanted to make a name for themselves and see if they could become socially famous. They are all equally guilty,’ she said.
“There is no doubt in our minds that they were all working as a singular entity in a swarm mob mentality when they chose to attack this man.”
The eight were together. All eight were involved,” she said. “I won’t say what each did individually, but all eight of them were together and participating in this event, which is disturbing.”
He said a number of weapons were seized, but declined to say what kind. She added that three of the girls had previous run-ins with the police.
“It is strange that everyone has connected and found their way to downtown Toronto. Their main residences are everywhere. I can tell you that it was a shock to know that your children were involved in an event like this.
Canadian authorities cannot release the names of the girls by law because they are minors.
Browne said they are asking anyone who saw the group of teens that night to contact police.
He said that 20 or 30 years ago in Toronto, young teenagers would round up others and try to steal Dr. Martens boots or Air Jordan shoes, but the trend faded.
‘Has this happened recently that we are not aware of? Have people been posting these things online that we weren’t aware of?’ he said.
“It’s something we’re going to try to find out.”
Mohamed Ahmed, co-executive director of the nonprofit youth group Success Beyond Limits, said they had never seen teenagers accused of such a crime.
“When we see young people in difficult situations… it’s usually men, unfortunately,” he said. the toronto star.
If girls are involved in violence, it is usually much milder: “It’s not at the level of what I just read,” she said.