Donnie Chin
July 23, 2020 marks the fifth anniversary of Donnie Chin’s murder, and the case remains unsolved. Due to the current pandemic, the Chin family and the International District Emergency Center (IDEC) will not be hosting a vigil this year.
In a press release, the Chin family said, “The longer the investigation remains open, the more the community fears that justice for Donnie will never become a reality.”
Chin, considered by many to be a community hero, founded IDEC in 1968. IDEC grew over the years, but Chin was always its cornerstone, and he brought a sense of safety and stability. People were accustomed to seeing him run by in his khaki uniform and first aid kit. Chin saved hundreds of lives over his decades of service, and was usually the first person residents and business owners called when they needed help.
Chin was shot to death in the early hours of the morning on July 23, 2015—caught in the middle of gunfire between two rival gangs.