In the winter of 2015, a sense of unease settled over a Jersey City neighborhood. Byungeun Lee, a 61-year-old male resident of Palisades Park, was a familiar and friendly face to many in the Journal Square area. He was the owner of Top Plus, a men's clothing store on Bergen Avenue, where customers knew him affectionately as 'Mr. Kim.' On the afternoon of December 19, this familiar sense of community was shattered.
Around 4:30 p.m.
on that Saturday, a tragedy unfolded within the walls of Top Plus. An armed individual entered the store in what appeared to be a robbery. During the course of the crime, Byungeun Lee was shot at least once in the head. When police officers arrived at the scene, they found him already deceased. The news of his violent death sent ripples of sorrow and fear through the community.
In the days that followed, a makeshift memorial of candles and flowers appeared outside the shuttered doors of his shop. A poster filled with messages of condolence and farewell from his customers was a testament to the man they had lost. The incident marked the 24th homicide in Jersey City that year, a grim statistic that surpassed the previous year's total and heightened concerns about public safety among residents and fellow business owners.
Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement, including canvassing the neighborhood and appealing to the public for any information, the person responsible for Byungeun Lee's death was never apprehended. The suspect fled the scene immediately after the shooting and has remained unidentified. To this day, the case remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made in connection with the murder. The search for justice for Byungeun Lee continues, a painful and unresolved chapter in the city's history.
