Shooting near Proof bar doesn’t mean downtown Santa Ana isn’t safe

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• Take a look at this map of orange county crime: map - I don't see anything "random" about the huge cluster hovering over Santa Ana

• Someone's son was shot and killed. Someone's baby is not coming home again -- ever. Yet you are worried about folks maybe not "visiting our exciting and fun downtown." IMO this sentiment is rather heartless and callous.

  • Sylvia,

    Clearly you failed to read my entire post, as I did express my condolence to the Chung family.

    The fact is however that our city and our business community have invested millions in our downtown area. We cannot allow rumer-mongering and panic to hurt this area. This will only serve to kill jobs and hurt our city's tax coffers.

    I visited Libreria Martinez last night. Have you been there? They have Orange County's largest selection of Latino books. The recession is really hurting them. Would you like to see them go under? That appears to be your attitude.

    My wife and I spent a couple hours at our downtown last night and we were perfectly safe.

• Santa Ana is not safe at all..
  unfortunate for businesses around the area..
  Where is the CCTV? It would be a life more efficient with better investing in security in the highest murder spot in Orange County, especially for a area that they are investing in for young citizens to hang out at.
  This is a horrible event. A life taken for a few bucks? This is a problem of the city. Votes for fake ID's from the government itself.
  Economic Slavery in all its glory.

  • Roy,

    Have you been in our downtown? I was there last night. It was safe and we had a great time.

    You can be robbed anywhere. Don't panic over one robbery and shooting.

• Art: I never seem to have this problem in Irvine.

  • Jesus,

    Irvine has no night life to speak of.

• Yes, Admin, you did express your condolences (in words). And I fully understand that "rumer-mongering and panic" "will only serve to kill jobs and hurt our city’s tax coffers;" however, the fact that someone's child is dead cannot (and should not) be juxtaposed to the economic hit that Libreria Martinez is taking.

  • Sylvia,

    I won't apologize for that. There is a lot riding in our downtown doing well and this is the ONLY media outlet that isn't panicking today.

    Yes, we are sorry for this death, but violence went up in Irvine last year too.

• This article makes me never want to set foot in santa ana again. This man died just yesterday and all you can do is try to promote santa ana and talk about what fun times you had with your wife there. And then, to add to it, you talk about how violence went up in irvine. What does that have to do with anything? Did he die in irvine? Did you want to list all the cities where violence went up? Do you really think that makes people in irvine want to come visit santa ana? I am from irvine and I felt like this was a tragedy but I would still visit santa ana. However, after reading your article, I will make sure to let all my friends know not to visit santa ana.

  • Jen,

    We offered our condolences, but the fact is that we cannot allow our downtown to sink because of one tragedy.

    You do know by the way that a woman died ice skating at Irvine's Great Park last year. Did you stop going to the Great Park?

    The media is panicking over this episode and I say that isn't fair. Violence DID go up in Irvine last year, so it's not like we have an exclusive on such acts here in Santa Ana.

    Irvine has no night life, so if you are going to stop visiting Santa Ana have fun in crowded, expensive Newport Beach.

• Admin

  Are you clueless? The point that you are missing is that we shouldn't be talking about the night life in Santa Ana after a murder. It's not the fact which city is safer than another..it is about having the decency to deal with a innocent person who was murdered and the family suffering. It's not the time to promote the "New Santa Ana". There is a time for everything....and now isn't the time for that! It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that out....just a little compassion...

  • David,

    Have you seen the media reports? Now is exactly the time for me to counter the BS that is being flung at the Register and elsewhere.

• Here's a fun tidbit of information.

  Actually not too long before this young man was shot and killed and also before this author used this story as advertisement for how flawed Irvine is.....

  On this same street a bouncer (for one of these bars) was jumped by about 10 guys mainly of Mexican decent. No one ran to help him, nor did the police come right away.

  I'm very glad you and your wife had a fun time; however, my friends and I will absolutely not be braving these bars anymore.

  • SMH,

    You're a racist and a coward. I hope you do stay out of my town.

• Iwas in santa ana the same night of the shooting, and I was almost shoot and killed just hours before. It was the same m.o. Two male hispanics pulled a large rifle from the trunk of their car and chased me and 3 other friends for 5 blocks. When cornered by the white nissan altima that they were driving they had 2 of us and I almost watched my friend die. He made it arond the corner safley and we are both glad we are alive. I live in south los angeles and I feel more safe there than anywhere in your city. There is no doubt in my mind that these are the same guys. Your cime contol sucks and you have no heart. Why are promoting safety when clearly it isn't. Top it off my insident happened hours before this shooting. Screw santa ana, I will take my chances in watts for now on.

  • devin,

    Did you report this alleged incident? I doubt it. Had you reported it, Chung might still be alive today. Instead you retreated to L.A. and allowed these criminals to strike again. You have blood on your hands.

    Our downtown has full time security patrols, paid for by the merchants. And I have seen an increase in police patrols since the Chung incident.

    If you are hanging around any downtown at 1:30 am you are at risk, particularly if you decide to fight an armed robber instead of handing over your money.

• I'm a 10 year artist in the village, and have watched the changes for better. We are a family who struggle, when one hurts we all hurt.

  Finally I have been seeing blue sky, a few sales, clientele who have the potential of buying art, great restaurants, ever changing events, music, art.

  Artists, bars, restaurants we are all a family. Visitors are part of that family.

  I feel that we lost one of our extended family with the murder of Chung. One minute he is in our home (Proof) enjoying himself with a friend. Then outsiders crash in, the hand of evil takes out one of our people, attempts to steal and then murders one of our family. I take it personally.

  I feel for his friend that was with him, how does he get back to his life, I feel for his family, friends.

  I'm disappointed that humanity does this to humanity. We, the artist village, lost one of it's own, a visitor, a client, a man. Chung is gone, we, the village, will survive in spite of this event, we will take measures, to prevent things like this to happen again. Chung will not be forgotten.

  Bars and night time activities brings it's own element and a reason to be cautious while having fun.