In the early hours of September 15, 1995, a sense of camaraderie filled the Bing Kung Tong, a social club located at 20 NW 4th Avenue in Portland, Oregon. Among the patrons was Bing Woon Joe, a 61-year-old Asian man. The quiet atmosphere was shattered at approximately 1:20 a.m. when the door opened and two men, later identified as Vietnamese, entered the establishment. Shortly after, two more men of the same descent followed, and the friendly gathering took a terrifying turn.
One of the newcomers announced a robbery, brandishing handguns and ordering everyone to the floor.
As the patrons complied, fear hanging heavy in the air, the four assailants began demanding money and valuables. Bing Joe, lying on the floor as instructed, was approached by one of the armed men. Without warning, a single gunshot echoed through the room. Bing Joe had been shot in the chest as he lay helpless on the ground. The sudden violence marked the abrupt and tragic end of the robbery.
In the chaotic moments that followed, all four suspects fled the scene, disappearing into the night. The remaining patrons immediately called for help, and police and paramedics rushed to the Tong. Bing Joe was transported to Oregon Health & Science University for emergency surgery, but his wound was too severe. He succumbed to the single gunshot, his life stolen in a senseless act of violence. An autopsy later confirmed that the single shot to his chest was the cause of death.
The assailants were described as Vietnamese males, estimated to be between 20 and 28 years old at the time of the incident. Their heights ranged from 5'4" to 5'8", and their weights were estimated to be between 135 and 150 pounds. All four had black hair, and witnesses recalled two of them wearing black jackets. Despite these descriptions, no arrests have ever been made in the case. The murder of Bing Woon Joe remains an unsolved cold case, a painful chapter in the city's history and a source of enduring grief for his community. The identities of the four men who entered the Bing Kung Tong that night, and the one who pulled the trigger, remain a mystery.
