Francois Ung, the owner of Arcadia Donuts, tried to chase after the man that he spotted breaking into his car early Monday morning, but the thief got away in the dark.
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Stolen from Ung's car was a laptop computer plus about $2,000 cash from a fundraiser the shop held to help survivors and victims' family members of the Jan. 21, 2023 shooting, in which 11 people were killed and nine were wounded.
Among those traumatized in the shooting was Ung's wife, Shally.
She had danced for years at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio and was there the night of the shooting. Her friend and longtime dance partner Yu Lun "Andy" Kao, was shot and killed as he shielded Shally.
The fundraiser would have helped Andy's family, among others.
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"I'm hurt," Francois said. "Of course I'm hurt. I'm sad and hurt. Why these kind of people do that?"
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Police are examining the car and surveillance video to search for the suspect.
In the meantime, customers of the shop - many of whom contributed to the fundraiser - are similarly devastated.
"That's so sad," said customer Margie Shahann. "It's just really, really sad. How cruel can one be?"
Francois says he feels he owes it to the victims and their family members to hold another fundraiser.
He has also started a page on GoFundMe to help raise additional funds.