A 57-year-old woman was tragically killed in a lower Manhattan condominium on Monday night as she attempted to shield her husband and son from two violent intruders. The woman, Ying Zhu Liu, worked as a home health aide and was found deceased in the eighth-floor hallway of the Two Bridges building on 44 Market St. shortly after 11 p.m., as per police records.
The two attackers, reportedly clad in black ski masks, are suspected to have followed Liu’s 61-year-old husband into the building and into the elevator, where they tried to rob him. Liu’s 32-year-old son, who had earlier let his father into the building, was waiting in the eighth-floor hallway when the elevator doors opened, revealing the ongoing struggle.
Upon seeing the situation, Liu’s son tried to intervene but was hit with a pistol by one of the robbers. Liu, hearing the noise, came out with a stick to confront the intruders, but was fatally shot in the face in front of her husband and son.
Despite the violent encounter, both Liu’s husband and son were physically unscathed. The robbers managed to take the husband’s cell phone before escaping the scene. As of Tuesday morning, the suspects were still at large.
The police have provided descriptions of the suspects. The gunman was reportedly dressed in a half red, half black hooded jacket, black pants with a white stripe down the leg, and white sneakers. The second suspect was wearing a black hooded coat, black pants, and black and white sneakers. Liu’s son, Lin Rong Yan, stated that he did not recognize either of the suspects.
The aftermath of the incident was a grim sight. The eighth-floor hallway where the shooting occurred was still marked with blood 12 hours later. A blood-soaked pillow was propped against a wall, and a blood-stained handprint was visible on the wall. A pool of blood was concentrated near the door to the stairs.
The 12-story building where the incident took place houses 16 condo units, a preschool, and commercial space on the ground level. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.