Kelvin Chew, a 19-year-old resident of San Francisco, tragically lost his life on May 7, 2020. Kelvin was shot and killed near his home in the Portola neighborhood around 8:02 PM. He had just finished a class on Zoom and decided to take a walk to get some fresh air. Unfortunately, he never returned home. His mother, worried about his prolonged absence, went out to search for him and encountered an active crime scene with police officers surrounding the area.
Kelvin was found suffering from a gunshot wound on the sidewalk near Felton and Colby Streets and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kelvin was a promising young man, a graduate of Balboa High School, and was about to attend City College of San Francisco. He had aspirations to study computer science and engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His death was a significant loss to his family, who were first-generation Chinese immigrants, and to the community that knew him.
The investigation into Kelvin's death led to the arrest of two suspects, Fagamalama Pasene, 26, and Zion Young, 19. Both suspects were charged with murder and attempted robbery. They were held without bail and faced multiple charges. The incident was part of a broader pattern of violence in San Francisco, with more than half of the year's killings occurring in three police districts: Bayview, Mission, and Ingleside. The Community Youth Center of San Francisco organized a GoFundMe page to support Kelvin's family, raising significant funds to help them during this difficult time.
The legal proceedings following the arrests saw Zion Young denying all allegations and pleading not guilty in court. The case highlighted the ongoing issues of violence and crime in the city, and the community's efforts to support the victims' families and seek justice for the senseless loss of young lives like Kelvin's.
