‘I can’t give you a motive’: Prosecutors clueless why Chicago Chinatown killer shot 71-year-old man

Prosecutors are still reportedly clueless about the motives behind the seemingly callous murder of a 71-year-old Chinese man near an elementary school in Chicago’s Chinatown on Tuesday.

What happened: Prosecutors at the bond hearing on Thursday could only explain that “sometimes individuals just do evil things” as they tried to determine why Alphonso Joyner, 23, shot and killed Woom Sing Tse, according to Chicago Sun-Times.

“That’s the situation we have here,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said. “Judge, I can’t give you a motive.”
Tse was reportedly walking on the 200 block of West 23rd Place near John C. Haines Elementary School when Joyner fired at the elderly man from his car while driving by. The censored surveillance footage shows that the suspect fired at his victim seven times while inside his vehicle, then seven more times after he got out. During the second round of shots, Tse reportedly covered his head and ears before collapsing onto the floor.
The suspect then “calmly” walked over to Tse and fired nine more times before “calmly” returning to his car and driving off. Tse, who sustained several gunshot wounds in his head, right hip, right temple and neck, was rushed to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, WTTW reported.
Police managed to track down Joyner’s car using his plate number and at least 10 license plate reading cameras. During his arrest near Jackson Boulevard an hour later, he was reportedly wearing the same outfit that the murderer in the security camera footage wore.
A “ghost gun,” a firearm without a serial number that is assembled using different parts of firearms, was found inside his vehicle during his arrest. Gunpowder was also reportedly found on his hands, Chicago Tribune reported.
Authorities also discovered that Joyner’s gun magazine “matched the spent shell casings at the murder scene.”
Joyner was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, among others.
He was denied bail on Thursday by Judge Maryam Ahmad, who declared that the incident’s “overwhelming” evidence shows that Joyner is a “real and present threat and danger to the community,” the New York Post reported. “The court can say, in summary, this was an execution that the people described.”

Prior arrest: Joyner, who was raised in Chicago, was reportedly arrested in December 2020. Court documents revealed he was “allegedly driving with a loaded gun with laser sight in his glove box.” Although he showed a valid Firearms Owner Identification (FOID) card, Joyner did not have a concealed-carry license.

Felony charges against him were eventually dropped, and he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge. In addition to having his FOID revoked, he was given a two-day jail sentence.
“The evidence was insufficient to file felony charges, as the gun was in a closed glove box and the defendant had a valid FOID,” the state’s attorney’s office said on Thursday.
Joyner was also convicted of a misdemeanor in October for the unlawful use of a weapon, according to Assistant Public Defender Scott Kozicki.
Authorities are now coordinating with other precincts to determine if Joyner has any connections to other seemingly random acts of violence in the area, Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said on Wednesday.

Other details: William Tse, the victim’s son, said his father emigrated to the U.S. from China 50 years ago and saved money while working as a cook in Chicago. He eventually opened two restaurants and retired nine years ago.

“He was a man who came to this country with a few dollars in his pocket, and with hard work and a determined spirit, he achieved the American Dream,” Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said.

Featured Image via WGN-TV

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