Golden Dragon massacre
Five innocent people died in a Chinatown gang shootout.
The Golden Dragon massacre was a gang-related mass shooting that occurred on September 4, 1977, at the Golden Dragon Restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown. The attack, carried out by the Joe Boys gang against rival Wah Ching leaders, left five people dead and eleven others injured, all of whom were innocent bystanders. It prompted the creation of the San Francisco Police Department's Asian Gang Task Force, which helped end gang violence in Chinatown by 1983.
Quick Facts
- Location
- 818 Washington Street, San Francisco, California, U.S.
- Date
- 4 September 1977
- Time
- 2:40 a.m.
- Target
- Leaders of the Wah Ching gang
- Fatalities
- 5
- Injuries
- 11
- Perpetrators
- Peter Ng
- Curtis Tam
- Chester Yu
- Melvin Yu
- Tom Yu
- Weapons
- .45-caliber Commando Mark III rifle
- Two 12-gauge pump-action shotguns
- .38 Special revolver
Facts from the source article.
Shooting
The shooting stemmed from a feud between the Joe Boys and the Wah Ching, which began when the Joe Boys split from the Wah Ching in the late 1960s. The attack was a retaliation for a July 4, 1977, shootout at the Ping Yuen housing project, sparked by a dispute over fireworks sales, which killed 16-year-old Joe Boys member Felix Huey and wounded Melvin Yu. Huey's death was itself a reprisal for the May 31 murder of Kin Chuen Louie, a 20-year-old Wah Ching member shot a dozen times while fleeing in his car.
By 1977, 44 people had died in Chinatown gang violence, with Inspector John McKenna counting 55 dead from 1969 to 1977. The raid was planned in a Daly City apartment, with weapons stored in a Pacifica home owned by a friend of Joe Boys leader Tom Yu. On August 29, 1977, Yu asked Carlos Jon to track Wah Ching and Hop Sing Tong members over Labor Day weekend, focusing on where they gathered late at night. The Golden Dragon was chosen because it was a favorite hangout for both gangs, and the attack would also financially harm co-owner Jack Lee, a Hop Sing elder.
Aftermath
A week after the shooting, two Joe Boys were shot by suspected Wah Ching gunmen, killing 18-year-old Michael Lee and critically wounding 19-year-old Lo 'Mark' Chan in an ambush at Chan's Richmond District home. Chinatown's tourism suffered as nighttime dining declined and restaurant reservations were canceled en masse. The Golden Dragon reopened seven hours after the shooting but closed as early as 10 P.M. the following week due to reduced patronage, compared to its usual 3 A.M. closing.
Business and tourist traffic remained depressed for weeks, though some businesses attributed rising costs to decreased patronage. By December, police had made no arrests, though Michael Louie, the reported target, was arrested for a 1976 murder. The SFPD, led by Lieutenant Daniel Murphy, noted increased cooperation from Chinatown residents, who identified Wah Ching diners and Joe Boys assailants present that night, despite Chief Charles Gain criticizing the community's silence due to fear of reprisals.
More in Attacks on Restaurants in the United States
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