ABC News blasted for mistakenly identifying Asian woman activist as murder victim

A community activist blasted ABC News for making a “harmful mistake” that “further invisibilizes Asian women”. 

ABC News misidentified Grace Lee, a local activist who attended a vigil for the murder victim Christina Yuna Lee, as Michelle Go on the on-screen chyron during an interview in the “World News Tonight” segment. Many viewers were taken aback by ABC News’ blunder.

Michelle Go died after being pushed in front of an oncoming New York subway train in the morning of January 15th by 61-year-old Simon Martial, who is now charged with second-degree murder.

Christina Yuna Lee was stabbed and killed inside her New York City apartment the early morning of February 13th. Grace Lee told ABC News that the city’s failure to charge the suspect with a hate crime doesn’t change the fact that Asian women confront “real fear.”

Fox News Digital assured that the chyron has been updated to properly identify Grace Lee on the version of the program shared through the network’s social media channels and on the digital version of the show available online.

No immediate response was heard from ABC News, but the network told Fox News Digital that it was simply “an unintentional mistake” that was quickly corrected. 

In the wake of Go’s horrifying murder, there have been calls to “stop Asian hate” in New York City, which has seen a large spike in hate crimes.

On Friday, Fox News Digital was the first to get the total year-end hate crime statistics from the New York Police Department (NYPD), which indicates that reports of anti-Asian crimes steeply increased by 343% – from 30 in 2020 to 133 in 2021.

Assamad Nash, a 25-year-old blood-soaked homeless man with numerous open criminal charges, has been charged with Yuna Lee’s murder.

Lee’s violent stabbing was condemned by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand – all Democrats, as yet another attack dealt by the Asian American community.