Authorities seek motive for killing of Chinese man

Prosecutors say they still have no motive as to why 23-year-old Alphonso Joyner allegedly shot and killed 71-year-old Woom Sing Tse in Chicago's Chinatown. 

Joyner from Chicago has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a revoked Firearm Owner's Identification Card.

A vigil was held on Dec 10 for Tse, who was slain on Dec 7. A GoFundMe was initiated for Tse and it has already raised over $70,000.

Joyner fired more than 20 times at Tse as he walked down a sidewalk a few blocks from his home, Assistant State's Attorney James Murphy told Judge Maryam Ahmad on Dec 9.

Ahmad said the "overwhelming" amount of evidence described an "execution" and she denied bail for Joyner.

Several home surveillance video cameras captured Tse walking down a street as Joyner pulled up in a car, Murphy said. Joyner, wearing a surgical face mask and a hoodie, fired seven shots at Tse, paused and then fired seven more times, Murphy said.

Tse covered his head and ears before falling to the ground during the second volley of shots. Joyner then stopped the car, got out and walked "calmly" toward Tse while yelling, "Hey! Hey!" and pointing a gun, according to Murphy.

Joyner fired nine more shots before walking "calmly" back to the car, Murphy said.

Tse died at Stroger Hospital.

The car sped off, but Joyner was arrested near the Kennedy Expressway. Police said a gun with an extended magazine was recovered in the car.

The shooting happened a few blocks from Tse's home while he was walking to the store to buy a newspaper, and across the street from Haines Elementary School, where Tse's daughter was teaching, William Tse, his son said.

"We hope that this arrest, these charges that were brought, bring [Tse's family] a measure of closure, knowing the person responsible has been taken off the streets of Chicago," Police Superintendent David Brown said.

Tse moved to Chicago from China 50 years ago and worked as a cook until he saved enough money to open a restaurant and then another.

William Tse told reporters after the hearing for Joyner that his family was "speechless so many people came out to help us" after the murder.

"We don't have an answer to why this happened. We just want justice," William Tse said. "I know my dad loved me, my two sisters, all the grandkids and especially my mother. I feel so bad for her," he said, breaking into tears.

He put his three children through school, had nine grandchildren and retired nine years ago.

"My dad was the epitome of the immigrant coming to America and taking chances," William Tse said.

Joyner refused to talk to investigators, police said. He has a record of gun charges, and Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said police are looking at other apparently random shootings to see if they're linked to Joyner.

Joyner was arrested quickly because the Chinatown Community Watch called the commander of the police district on his cellphone within minutes, police said.

Joyner's attorney said "essential information" was lacking in the prosecution's case. The car's tinted windows left a possibility that other people were in the car and could have been the shooter, the attorney said.