Cherry Chilei Liu, a 50-year-old woman from Arcadia, California, was tragically killed on August 1, 2018. The incident occurred in the 800 block of Sunset Boulevard, where Liu was fatally shot by her estranged husband, Mel Mingyo Liu. According to reports, Mel Liu had been lying in wait for Cherry Liu in the laundry room of her apartment complex. As she walked by, he opened fire, striking her multiple times.
He then followed her to the driveway, where he continued to shoot before turning the gun on himself. Cherry Liu was pronounced dead at the scene, while Mel Liu was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The couple had been going through a contentious divorce, which had been ongoing since Cherry Liu filed for divorce on February 8, 2016. They were scheduled to appear in court the day after the shooting to discuss the division of their assets, including the sale of their home. Mel Liu had left a note for their 14-year-old son, explaining his actions and expressing his distress over the impending sale of the house and the financial implications of the divorce.
Cherry Liu was well-regarded in her community and workplace. She worked as a community senior specialist for the city of Sierra Madre, where she organized activities and programs for seniors. Her colleagues remembered her as a kind and dedicated individual who always had a smile on her face. The day before her death, she had expressed to her supervisor that her job and her son were the happiest parts of her life.
The murder-suicide deeply affected the local community and Cherry Liu's colleagues, who brought in grief counselors to help staff cope with the loss. The tragic event highlighted the severe emotional and psychological toll that contentious divorces and financial disputes can have on individuals, sometimes leading to devastating outcomes.
