On Tuesday, two Asian American women were stabbed in San Francisco at around 5 PM while waiting at a bus stop. One victim is 65 years old and the other is 85. According to local outlet KPIX 5 San Francisco, a suspect, who is a 54-year-old male resident of San Francisco, was arrested by San Francisco police around 7 PM, and charges are pending. It’s unclear whether a hate crime charge is pending.
The grandson of one victim, 85-year-old Chui Fong Eng, spoke to KPIX 5 for an interview. In speaking to journalist Betty Yu, grandson Drew Eng said his grandmother was waiting for the bus on Market Street in San Francisco’s downtown area when the attack happened. He told the outlet his grandmother was attacked from behind and stabbed in the arm and in her chest.
Eng told Yu that his grandmother “didn't know the other victim, and they were both at the bus stop and both stabbed there.” He added that he believed the other victim was stabbed first.
Witness Patricia Lee, who was working at a flower stand near the bus stop and says she saw the stabbings take place, told ABC 7 News that it was a “pretty big knife, it had knuckles on the handle and the blade had holes in there like a military knife.” Her telling of events lines up with Eng’s as she noted seeing a woman with her back turned and “all I see was the feathers coming out of her jacket, so I'm very sure that she got sliced."
Additionally disturbing, Lee told the outlet that the suspect “walked away like nothing happened, like Sunday morning."
San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney tweeted updates about the arrest of the suspect, as well as the condition of the victims.
According to Haney, both women came out of surgery and are with family at Zuckerberg SF General Hospital.
As covered at length here at Daily Kos by my colleague Aysha Qamar, these attacks feel endless. For example, police recently arrested a man in connection with not one, but two attacks against Asian Americans in California. Asian American women have been attacked in New York, as well, including an instance that left a victim blind. We know that thanks to misinformation about COVID-19, attacks against Asian Americans have increased by 169% from 2020 to 2021. We also know that the United States has a history of anti-Asian hate and that there are resources we can look to on how to provide support to those affected and fight hate at every turn.
The grandson of one victim, 85-year-old Chui Fong Eng, spoke to KPIX 5 for an interview. In speaking to journalist Betty Yu, grandson Drew Eng said his grandmother was waiting for the bus on Market Street in San Francisco’s downtown area when the attack happened. He told the outlet his grandmother was attacked from behind and stabbed in the arm and in her chest.
Eng told Yu that his grandmother “didn't know the other victim, and they were both at the bus stop and both stabbed there.” He added that he believed the other victim was stabbed first.
Witness Patricia Lee, who was working at a flower stand near the bus stop and says she saw the stabbings take place, told ABC 7 News that it was a “pretty big knife, it had knuckles on the handle and the blade had holes in there like a military knife.” Her telling of events lines up with Eng’s as she noted seeing a woman with her back turned and “all I see was the feathers coming out of her jacket, so I'm very sure that she got sliced."
Additionally disturbing, Lee told the outlet that the suspect “walked away like nothing happened, like Sunday morning."
San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney tweeted updates about the arrest of the suspect, as well as the condition of the victims.
According to Haney, both women came out of surgery and are with family at Zuckerberg SF General Hospital.
As covered at length here at Daily Kos by my colleague Aysha Qamar, these attacks feel endless. For example, police recently arrested a man in connection with not one, but two attacks against Asian Americans in California. Asian American women have been attacked in New York, as well, including an instance that left a victim blind. We know that thanks to misinformation about COVID-19, attacks against Asian Americans have increased by 169% from 2020 to 2021. We also know that the United States has a history of anti-Asian hate and that there are resources we can look to on how to provide support to those affected and fight hate at every turn.