District Offers Relief For Community

The psychological trauma surrounding the double-homicide tragedy that stunned the Fresh Meadows community last Friday is being aggressively confronted, according to school officials.
It was early Friday morning on January 3, when police were directed to an apartment on 65th Crescent and discovered the bodies of 34-year-old Sook Kim and her daughter Clara, age 7. In what police described as a double homicide "love triangle," Kim’s former boyfriend, 30-year-old Moo Chul Shin allegedly stabbed Kim’s husband, 38-year-old Hyunsik, before traveling to the Kim home.
According to police sources, there was no forced entry and once inside, Shin, in what appeared to be a jealous rage, allegedly stabbed Sook, Clara and Kim’s other daughter, 8-year-old Estelle. Police sources stated that Estelle was able to escape and alert family members of the attack.
Sook Kim was pronounced dead at the scene while Clara was taken to New York Hospital where she expired from her wounds. Estelle was listed as critical while Hyunsik’s condition was regarded as stable.
Police found Shin inside the Anchor Motel with both wrists slashed in what appeared to be a suicide attempt. Motel employees stated that Shin was awake when removed from the premises by police.
Both Clara and Estelle were students at Public School 26 in Queens.
According to PS 26 Principal Dr. Dina Koski, who stated that she knew both girls, it was a neighbor of the Kims who informed school officials late Friday of the police activity at the students’ home. Shortly thereafter, school officials were informed of the fate of the family by police but decided not to tell the other students at that time.
"This is a very sad time. We are on overload," said Koski, who added that she had never experienced anything like this during her eight years at the school. The principal stated that the district assembled a large group of approximately 15 people from the District 26 Crisis Intervention Team consisting of both psychologists and social workers. According to Koski, the team, which started intervention on Monday, provided bi-lingual and mono-lingual help in the Korean and Chinese languages.
"The crisis team visited every second and third grade classroom in the school," said Koski who pointed out that assistance would also be available to parents, teachers, and the entire student body, which consists of pre-K through grade 5. Parents stated that they felt the school was doing a fine job caring for the students. According to one 4th grade student we spoke with, his class was creating a large "get well" card for Estelle, which all the students will sign.
As part of the intervention program, a "safe room," which is a more private, one-on-one encounter with a crisis team member, will also be provided.
"Right now we are experiencing one of the greatest increases of gang activity, right here," said Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Corona) at a press conference last Wednesday. "Weve had enough."