“I was attacked by 8 or 9 people”: Military veteran beaten outside a South Loop grocery store speaks out

Andrea Medina and Gabriel Castillo

10 minutes ago

CHICAGO – A military veteran who was attacked outside a South Loop grocery store last week spoke at a news conference Sunday.

The victim, Kevin Qin, said he suffered injuries to his head and body and even lost consciousness.

According to Qin, the attackers made derogatory racist remarks about him and he believes this may have been the reason for the attack.

“What happened was basically very tragic and something I thought would never happen in my life,” Qin said.

It’s been nearly a week since Qin was brutally attacked as he walked to Jewel-Osco in the South Loop to buy ice cream.

“It’s obviously a little worrying because the situation is so serious and I was attacked by eight or nine people.”

According to Chicago police, the attack occurred around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday near Roosevelt Road and South Wabash Avenue.

Qin said he was on his way to the entrance of the grocery store when he passed a woman coming out with a shopping cart.

According to Qin, the woman allegedly hit him before a large group of men approached him.

Qin, along with community activists and Asian American neighbors, called the attack a hate crime, but Chicago police have not yet determined a motive.

“I just thought that because of what happened and what was said, there had to be a big racist component,” Qin said.

The 41-year-old, who served with the US Marines in Iraq, said his military training gave him a huge advantage in defending himself against the suspects. But he fears there could be another attack on untrained individuals as he believes the store is a popular hangout for criminals.

“The parking lot was a situation where many people were loitering, smoking, taking drugs and drinking alcohol, and sometimes even fighting broke out,” Qin said.

Not only did Qin want the South Loop store to become a peaceful shopping destination, he also called for stricter laws against criminals.

“People who commit such crimes know that there is no punishment for it. They only get a slap on the wrist,” Qin said.

Qin said none of his belongings were stolen in the attack, which makes him question the motive.

A Jewel-Osco spokesman said they are cooperating with authorities, adding that detectives have reviewed surveillance video of the alleged incident.