Belltown remembers pregnant business owner gunned down one year ago

SEATTLE — It’s been a year to the very day since tragedy hit the Belltown neighborhood. A pregnant business owner, mother, and wife Eina Kwon was gunned down at the intersection of 4th Avenue and Lenora Street by a complete stranger.

Eina and her unborn baby didn’t survive. Her husband, Sung, was also shot, but he survived. Police arrested the alleged shooter Cordell Goosby just moments after the shooting.

Sung Kwon reopened their restaurant a few months after the tragedy. Neighboring business owner Mike Hoyle says the pain of the shooting still lingers in Belltown.

“It really did make me sick to my stomach when I first heard it,” Hoyle said.

Hoyle also says it’s truly inspiring to see Sung continue his work.

“He’s stayed here. He’s stayed resilient and he’s moving past the adversity that hit him and I….can’t even imagine what he goes through,” Hoyle said.

Hoyle also wishes that this never happened to Sung or his family.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you tried to build your dream in the heart of downtown Seattle and somebody took it from you,” Hoyle said.

Hoyle says when it comes to overall safety in the neighborhood, especially for business owners, sadly not much has changed.

“There’s a lot of promises. There’s a lot of stuff they have been saying, but I personally haven’t felt any of that as a small business,” Hoyle said.

Goosby’s next pre-trial omnibus hearing is scheduled for June 27th. The trial date is scheduled to start August 19.

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