Murder of Lea Mek
Lea Mek (1974/1975 – December 3, 1993) was a Cambodian refugee living in the United States who was a member of the Asian Boyz street gang. On December 3, 1993, Mek was murdered in a gang shooting by the Wah Ching gang, at a pool hall in El Monte, California. The murder was caught on camera by four surveillance cameras installed within the hall. After the murder, the Asian Boyz declared war on the Wah Ching. As a result, it influenced a number of other gang murders and shootings in the LA area, and created a strong feud between both Asian gangs. Authorities claim the murder inspired a chain reaction of gang violence which led to ten other murders in the LA area. Murder On Friday, December 3, 1993, 18-year-old Lea Mek, nicknamed "Kicker", went to a pool hall located in a working-class area in the San Gabriel Valley, in El Monte, California. The pool hall was a hangout spot for the gang he was a part of, the Asian Boyz. Mek carried a .45 caliber pistol with him on the night of the shooting and he had a history of weapons and violence. Not long after his arrival, around