In a tragic turn of events stemming from a seemingly trivial dispute, Glenn Hirsch, a 51-year-old man from Queens, New York, was found dead in his home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on August 5, 2022. His death came just hours before he was due in court for a hearing related to the murder of Zhiwen Yan, a 45-year-old Chinese food delivery worker.
The chain of events leading to both deaths began in November 2021, when Hirsch became embroiled in a dispute with the Great Wall
restaurant in Forest Hills over the amount of duck sauce he received with his order. This seemingly minor disagreement escalated into a months-long campaign of harassment and threats by Hirsch against the restaurant's employees. He was accused of threatening workers with a knife and a gun on separate occasions, and vandalizing their vehicles.
The situation took a fatal turn on the night of April 30, 2022. Surveillance footage captured Hirsch allegedly circling the restaurant in his car before following Yan, who was on his scooter making a delivery. At a red light, Hirsch is believed to have approached Yan on foot and shot him in the chest, leading to his death.
Following an investigation, Glenn Hirsch was arrested on June 1, 2022, and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Initially held without bail, a judge later set his bail at $500,000, which Hirsch posted, allowing for his release under home confinement with electronic monitoring. This decision was met with concern and fear from the community and Yan's widow.
On the morning of August 5, 2022, when Hirsch failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing, authorities were dispatched to his residence. Upon entering his apartment, they discovered his body. In a note left behind, Hirsch continued to maintain his innocence but expressed that he felt the legal process was not progressing in his favor. His death brought an end to the criminal proceedings against him, leaving the family of Zhiwen Yan without the opportunity to see the case tried in a court of law.
