A tragic incident unfolded in a Manhattan apartment building earlier this month, resulting in the senseless killing of 57-year-old Ying Zhu Liu. The details of the botched robbery that led to Liu’s death were revealed in a criminal complaint charging a 16-year-old boy, Dante Schaller, with murder.
The heartbreaking sequence of events began when Schaller and an accomplice followed Liu’s husband, Shen Yan, into the elevator of their Two Bridges apartment building. Armed with a handgun, the suspects robbed Yan of his phone and $100 in cash. As the elevator reached the 8th floor, where the family lived, Yan warned his son, Lin Rong Yan, of the danger, shouting, “Stay back, they have a gun.”
Lin Rong Yan attempted to intervene but was pistol-whipped by one of the suspects, sustaining multiple fractures to his face and nose. Liu, hearing the commotion, stepped out of the apartment to help her family. The confrontation escalated in the stairwell, culminating in one of the muggers firing a fatal shot into Liu’s face from close range.
Liu, a dedicated home health aide, succumbed to her injuries at the scene. The suspects were captured on surveillance footage from a nearby deli prior to the murder, wearing the same clothing but without masks. Investigators recovered a red hooded sweatshirt worn by Schaller, along with live ammunition, from his residence.
Schaller, who just turned 16, was arrested and charged with murder, burglary, robbery, and possession of a weapon. Despite attempts by his attorney to downgrade the charges, Schaller was held without bail. The judge indicated that the grand jury would determine the appropriate charges based on the evidence presented.
During the court proceedings, emotions ran high as Schaller’s family members filled the courtroom, with his mother in tears. As Schaller was escorted away, he expressed love for his family, prompting a poignant moment as a woman in the gallery kissed a baby. The case will continue to unfold, with a hearing scheduled to determine if Schaller will be prosecuted as an adult.
The senseless tragedy that befell Liu and her family serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of violence in our communities. As the legal process unfolds, justice will hopefully be served for Ying Zhu Liu and her grieving loved ones.
