EVENDALE, Ohio — A Cincinnati man is helping raise money to help repair an Asian grocery store in Evendale after it was damaged in a shooting.
Daniel Scott Beckjord is accused of firing shots into Tokyo Foods Sunday evening.
Evendale police said the 33-year-old pulled into the parking lot of the Evendale Plaza on Reading Road, pulled out a handgun and started firing into the business.
During the shooting, Beckjord allegedly said he was “the president of Tokyo” and that the Asian grocery store Tokyo Foods, was “not in compliance,” according to court documents.
According to police, witnesses saw Beckjord walk around the parking lot before returning to the business to fire more shots.
Police said initial dispatch advised the suspect was in front of Uncle Yip’s Restaurant next door, however, the owner said her business was not involved in this incident.
In court Monday morning, Evendale police officer Steven Roach said that Beckjord fired around 12 to 15 rounds into Tokyo Foods before going back to his car to get another weapon. Roach said a search warrant was executed on Beckjord’s home and officers found multiple firearms, ballistic vests and a multitude of ammunition. Officers also found what they described as a “very large marijuana grow operation.”
When officers arrived, Beckjord was allegedly still holding the handgun. He was quickly taken into custody, police said.
Police said Beckjord admitted to the crime while he was being taken into custody. He did not offer a motive, which remains under investigation.
While no one was injured in the shooting, the location and apparent target make this close to home for many local Asian Americans.
“The accessibility to guns, the inaccessibility to mental health, the growing Asian hate, everything combined, I just don’t feel safe anymore,” Lam Dang, a Board member of the Asian American Cultural Association in Cincinnati said.
According to a GoFundMe page, Koji Sado set up the fundraiser to help the owners recover.
So far,…
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