After authorities identified Cho Seung-Hui, 23, a South Korean legal resident as the lone gunman who killed 32 students and teachers at Virginia Tech, the Korean American Association of Central Queens cancelled their installation dinner planned for Thursday night, April 19.
“As a Korean-American, we have the same feeling to lose our kids at VA Tech, not as an immigrant, but as an American,” said Sean Minsoo Shin, President of the organization.
Shin said that they decided to cancel the dinner, which it expected nearly 300 people to attend, because the community wanted to partake in the mourning and dedicate their prayers to those affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech.
John Park, President of the Korean Community Empowerment Council, who has three children in college and is actively involved in the Korean community, echoed Shin’s statements.
“We have to share the pain of the victims’ families and friends,” he said.
Both Shin and Park said they hoped that the Korean-American community would not experience any backlash because of Seung-Hui’s actions.
Korean-American event cancelled
By Pete Davis
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