Man serving life for deadly Orange County gang shooting dies in California prison altercation
A man serving life in prison for a deadly gang shooting in Southern California has died following an altercation with another inmate at a prison in Solano County, officials said.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced Tuesday that 45-year-old Stephenson C. Kim died Monday evening. Kim, who was incarcerated at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, was involved in an incident in a housing unit on Jan. 4.
Around 7:20 p.m., staff responded to the altercation and found Kim unconscious. Staff performed life-saving measures on Kim, who was then taken to the prison's triage and treatment area.
Kim was subsequently transferred to an outside medical facility where he later died.
The other inmate involved in the attack, identified as 30-year-old Joe Duty Jr., was medically evaluated and placed in restricted housing, officials said.
According to the Orange County District Attorney's Office, Kim was sentenced in 2012 to life in state prison without the possibility of parole, plus 255 years to life. Kim was convicted of murder, six counts of attempted murder, one count of street terrorism and multiple sentencing enhancements for a 2004 shooting at a café in Cypress.
Prosecutors said Kim was a member of an Asian street gang.
On March 14, 2004, Kim entered the 5th Wave Café and opened fire, prosecutors said. Venus Hyun, a 22-year-old who was eating dinner with six of her friends, died in the shooting.
Prosecutors said Kim wounded four others in the shooting and shot at two additional victims. At trial, six co-defendants testified against Kim.
According to corrections officials, Duty was received from San Joaquin County last February. Duty is serving a 14-year sentence after being convicted of rape of a minor 14 years or older and lewd acts with a child under the age of 14.
Officials said Duty remains in restricted housing pending an investigation by the prison's Investigative Services unit and the Solano County District Attorney's Office.