Shortly after 6:00 PM, three people entered the store intending to rob it and began taking cigarette cartridges. When Vu tried to stop them, one of the assailants shot her. The suspects fled and emergency services transported Vu to a hospital.

Vu died of her injuries on January 3, 2025. Investigators identified three suspects quickly. Two men were already in custody on unrelated charges when they were booked in connection with the shooting; a third person was later arrested in the city’s Fifth District. All three were arraigned and a judge set bond at $7.5 million each. The shooting prompted vigils in the Vietnamese community, and Vu’s family reopened the supermarket less than a month after her death to continue serving neighbors.