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Description
See any errors? Let us know!Gan Fong Chin and the 1978 Warwick Restaurant Murders
Background
Gan Fong Chin was a Chinese-born cook who had worked at Lee’s Cathay Terrace, a Chinese restaurant on Post Road in Warwick, Rhode Island. Accounts later described him as harboring paranoid delusions about co-workers prior to the attack.The Attack: June 17, 1978
On June 17, 1978, Chin entered Lee’s Cathay Terrace carrying a rifle concealed in a gift-wrapped box and opened fire on co-workers inside the restaurant. Four people were shot to death at the scene; another person suffered a fatal heart attack amid the chaos as the shooting began. Contemporary reporting identified the massacre location as the Cathay Terrace in Warwick.Victims
- Dorothy Johnston, 38 — fatally shot at Lee’s Cathay Terrace, Warwick, Rhode Island, June 17, 1978.
- John O’Dell, 40 — fatally shot at Lee’s Cathay Terrace, Warwick, Rhode Island, June 17, 1978.
- Robert Lee, 51 — fatally shot at Lee’s Cathay Terrace, Warwick, Rhode Island, June 17, 1978. (Lee was part of the family that operated the restaurant.)
- Danny Linn — fatally shot at Lee’s Cathay Terrace, Warwick, Rhode Island, June 17, 1978.
Victims
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Confirmed Victims: (4)
Robert Lee 51 yr old Male ...View 3 additional victims ...View 3 additional victims ...View 3 additional victims
Links to Additional Sources (6)
See any mistakes? Let us know!Killer's Details
Chin
Gan Fong
6/17/1978
6:20 PM
2099
Post Rd
Warwick
RI
Kent County
2886
41.724743
-71.440822
Restaurant
48
2
1
Yes
1 Firearm
NA
08/13/2025
Location:










