Evan Garber, a 59-year-old male Vancouver resident, was having a late-night meal at one of his regular restaurants when an armed robbery suddenly unfolded around him. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on April 28, 2006, Garber was sitting at his usual table inside the Kwong Chow Congee and Noodle House at 3163 Main Street. He had been a customer there for years and reportedly ate at the restaurant at least three times a week.
Several employees and about 20 customers were inside when an armed man entered, confronted a staff member and began taking money from the cash register.
As the robber attempted to leave the restaurant, Garber chose to intervene. He confronted the gunman and the two began struggling. Another customer then joined the attempt to overpower the robber. During the confrontation, multiple shots were fired. Garber was struck by gunfire and died inside the restaurant. The other customer who had tried to help was critically wounded, while four additional people were injured during the chaos surrounding the shooting.
Garber's decision to confront the robber was consistent with something he had done before. Vancouver police later disclosed that during an earlier, unrelated robbery, Garber had been inside a store when a robber entered with a bag covering his head. Garber pulled the bag away, exposing the man's face to a surveillance camera. Police were subsequently able to identify that offender, who was charged with two counts of robbery. Investigators cited the earlier incident as evidence that Garber had a history of stepping forward when he saw someone committing a crime.
Those who knew Garber described a much quieter side of his life. Restaurant employees remembered him as a kind regular customer who particularly enjoyed oysters and beef brisket. His family described him as peaceful and intellectually gifted, with a talent for writing, and said he often worked late. His pastor remembered him as gentle, soft-spoken and deeply involved with his church. Garber was a widower and had also endured the death of his son approximately five years before his own killing. His sisters later said his religious faith and commitment to social justice were central to his willingness to defend other people.
Witnesses provided police with a description of the unidentified gunman. He was described as a white man in his mid-to-late 20s, approximately six feet tall and weighing about 170 to 180 pounds. He was reportedly wearing a light-colored baseball cap, a loose shirt or possibly a track jacket, a T-shirt and long pants. Investigators also learned that a vehicle was seen leaving the area around the time of the shooting and believed it could have been connected to the crime. Police sought information about an older dark-blue, four-door sedan from approximately 1989 to 1992, possibly a Chevrolet or Oldsmobile.
Three years after the killing, Garber's sisters, Susan Garber and Marilyn Rivers-Bowerman, joined Vancouver homicide investigators in making a public appeal for information. His family characterized him as someone who had died trying to protect others and urged anyone who knew the identity of the gunman to come forward. Police announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible. The reward was still being publicized several years after the homicide as investigators continued seeking a break in the case.
No publicly identified suspect has been arrested, charged, tried or convicted in Garber's killing in the information released by Vancouver police. The department continues to feature his homicide among its cold cases and describes the investigation as an ongoing file. Despite the numerous witnesses inside the restaurant, the description of the robber and the potentially associated vehicle, the gunman's identity has not been publicly established and Garber's homicide remains unsolved.
