Edward Jae Song Lee was an 18-year-old Korean-American who was killed on April 30, 1992, during the Los Angeles riots that followed the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the Rodney King case. Living in the Wilshire District, he and friends went out to protect Koreatown after law enforcement presence had largely withdrawn from the area.

During a confrontation with another group of Korean-Americans a gunfight broke out. Edward was sitting in the front seat of a car when he was struck by two fatal bullets; investigators determined he had been mistakenly shot by someone in the rival group. No arrests or charges were filed in connection with the shooting.

Edward’s death became one of the many tragic incidents that galvanized Koreatown: days later thousands marched for peace and unity, and the unrest left more than 300 businesses burned or looted with over $200 million in damage.