Ki Yung Park

Mass Murderer

Ki Yung Park and the 2001 Houston Mass Murder

Overview

On January 9, 2001, 54-year-old Ki Yung Park murdered four people during a violent rampage across Houston, Texas. The victims were Park's estranged wife, Byong Sun Park, and three members of the Chang family: Chong Chang, his wife, Hyun Chang, and their daughter, Kathy Chang. The murders began at the convenience store Park operated with his estranged wife and continued at Amko Trading, a wholesale clothing and perfume business located at 9889 Harwin Drive in southwest Houston. After killing the Chang family, Park shot himself as police officers surrounded the business. He later died at a hospital.

Background and Marital Problems

Ki Yung Park was born in 1947 and had previously served in the military. He and his wife, Byong Sun Park, operated the Stop By Market No. 2 convenience store in northwest Houston. By January 2001, the couple was estranged and reportedly experiencing serious marital difficulties. People who worked near the convenience store recalled that Park sometimes shouted at his wife while they were working. Byong Sun would occasionally be seen crying, although she reportedly told concerned acquaintances that everything was all right. Police records also indicated that she had filed an assault complaint against Park in 1998. Park was arrested, and the Houston Police Department's Family Violence Unit offered her follow-up counseling. In the days before the murders, Park's behavior reportedly became increasingly erratic. Employees at a nearby automotive business noticed that he repeatedly opened and closed the convenience store at unusual times. On some days, the store remained closed entirely. On the morning of January 9, Park was seen outside cleaning the parking lot. Witnesses described him as looking tired, disheveled, and burdened by stress.

The Murder of Byong Sun Park

At some point before noon on January 9, 2001, Park shot his estranged wife inside the Stop By Market No. 2 convenience store. Byong Sun Park, age 42, was shot in the head. Her body was then left inside a walk-in cooler at the business. The murder was not immediately discovered. Park left the convenience store and traveled across Houston toward Amko Trading. Byong Sun's body remained concealed in the cooler until approximately four hours after the shooting at Amko Trading, when investigators searched the convenience store and found her. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Chong Chang 58 yr old Male

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