A homeless man who was allegedly murdered by a “swarm” of eight teenage girls in Toronto has been identified, police said.
Police identified Ken Lee, 59, as the man who was brutally stabbed to death in December after a group of girls reportedly descended on him “like a bunch of wild animals,” a police source told the Toronto Sun. Investigators believe that Lee, an immigrant from Hong Kong, was attempting to prevent the girls from taking a bottle of alcohol from a friend of his when the girls attacked him, the New York Post reported.
Ken Lee ID’d as homeless Toronto man killed by ‘swarm’ of 8 teen girls trying to steal his pal’s booze https://t.co/gWZoH3YVfK pic.twitter.com/sX3OmNLCJX
— New York Post (@nypost) January 11, 2023
Lee had begun living in Toronto’s shelter system in September after falling on hard times. His relatives described him as a “beloved son, brother and uncle,” adding that his death has “completely devastated his elderly mother’s heart,” the outlet reported
“We ensured that he knew we were always here for him and were waiting for him to return home,” Helen Shun, a relative of Lee, told the outlet. “He wanted to resolve his issues independently, and we understood and respected his wishes.” Shun added that Lee was “a kind soul” who would help anyone in need.
Diana Chan McNally, a harm reduction case manager at All Saints Toronto, told CBC that Lee’s death was incomprehensible but not all surprising as she has seen an increase in violence against the homeless population.
“This is the most extreme example of that, but we see it all the time. I get people coming in with all kinds of injuries from being beat up by complete strangers,” she said. “This isn’t something that’s new, it’s ongoing, but I see it more and more. I think there’s just so much hatred and dehumanization of people who are unhoused,” McNally told the outlet. (RELATED: Video Shows Latest Attack In Surge Of Violence Against LA Homeless)
Doug Johnson Hatlem, a street pastor who works with the homeless and knew Lee said the details of the story were consistent with what he knew of Lee’s character. “Nobody was surprised that he would stick up for somebody like that,” he told CBC.
The girls, ranging from 13 to 16 years old, are all facing second-degree murder charges. Each girl “played a role” in Lee’s death, Detective Sergeant Terry Browne of the Toronto police stated per the outlet.
“All eight were together. All eight were involved. I won’t say what each one individually did, but all eight were together and participating in this event, which is disturbing,” he stated.