Forest Hills Community Demands Justice At Vigil Honoring Slain Worker

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — Neighbors in Forest Hills still reeling from the fatal shooting of a local delivery man demanded justice at a vigil Wednesday.

"I want to know why after 10 days of the murder.... the suspect is still not found. Me and my family [are] scared," said Kunying Zhao, whose husband, Zhiwen Yan, was gunned down mid delivery shift. "NYC.... you owe an explanation to the Chinese community," she said, speaking through an interpreter, videos show.

Local community leaders and neighbors, speaking after Zhao when the microphone was opened up to vigil attendees, also called for justice on behalf of Yan and Asian New Yorkers.

"We are all still working in fear," said Kai Yang, owner of Great Wall, the Queens Boulevard restaurant where Yan worked and the vigil was held. The restaurant only recently reopened for business in the wake of Yan's killing.

"Since the pandemic our daily living is harder... but we Asians still stick with it [and] we deserve safety," Yang said, speaking through an interpreter about the anti-Asian hate that he's endured amid the pandemic.

Police, who previously said they wanted to question a disgruntled customer in connection to the shooting, maintained this week that the investigation remains ongoing and that no arrests have been made.

Local politicians, including U.S. Rep. Grace Meng and City Council Member Lynn Schulman, have visited Great Wall in the days after the shooting to discuss neighborhood safety, most recently alongside officers from the 112th Precinct.

These efforts, though, aren't enough for some people, including members of the Guardian Angels who took to the streets of Forest Hills last week to promote public safety and attended Wednesday's vigil.

"The swagger man, the Mayor Eric Adams, he's got no plan," Curtis Sliwa, Guardian Angels founder and GOP mayoral candidate, said in a New York Post video taken outside of Great Wall last week.

In the video, Sliwa blamed the mayor and Brooklyn men for increased crime in Forest Hills, including a series of high profile neighborhood killings.

Ethan Felder, one of the vigil's organizers who is also running for the State Assembly, said that the gathering provided a chance for people to talk about how to combat anti-Asian hate crimes, but also served as a memorial to a beloved community member.

"The memorial was a chance for community solidarity and to honor his life and service," said Felder.

Hundreds of neighbors attended the vigil, he said, bringing signs and notes of "love and appreciation" for Yan, which Felder has since delivered to his wife.

"No words can ameliorate her pain and agony, but this was a way to show what his life meant to so many in our community," Felder said.

Yan's funeral is scheduled for May 24, according to a news release from Meng's office.

Related Articles:

• Guardian Angels Patrol Forest Hills After Worker Shooting: Report
• Great Wall Reopens After Worker Shooting; NYPD Investigation Continues
• Disgruntled Customer Sought In Delivery Worker's Murder: Reports
• Delivery Worker Shot Dead In Forest Hills, Officials Say