Hundreds remember teen killed by stray bullet
COQUITLAM — Samson Wong wept on Saturday as he apologized to his son, saying he wished he could have protected the teenager from the stray bullet that took his life.
Alfred Wong was heading home to Coquitlam with his parents on Jan. 13 when a bullet pierced their vehicle on a Vancouver street, hitting the 15-year-old. He died in hospital two days later. Vancouver police have said they believe the shooting was gang related.
“Alfred, forgive Mom and Dad. We tried to protect you,” Samson Wong said at his son’s memorial service on Saturday. “Mom and Dad have been talking. We wish the bullet went for our heart, not yours.”
Sobs could be heard throughout the Coquitlam Alliance Church as Wong spoke to about 700 mourners, saying he still can’t accept or believe what has happened.
“Every morning, when we wake up, we tell ourselves it was a dream, a bad dream,” he said.
His son’s body lay a short distance away, dressed in a red plaid shirt and grey toque, in an open casket.
Wilfred Wong told the crowd that his younger brother was his “closest companion and an irreplaceable pillar” in his life.
“Fifteen years was far too short a time on Earth,” Wong said.
“But for 15 years, he lived a life full of happiness and joy.
“Thank you, Alfred, for being in our lives, reminding us to always be true to who we are and to always cherish the people we love and care about.”
He said the teen was bright, had plans of becoming an engineer and filled his spare time with many extracurricular activities, including swimming, taekwondo, video games and basketball.
Alfred’s basketball teammates sat in a pew together, dressed in their black uniforms.
His long-time basketball coach, Steve Ashley, told the crowd that Alfred was a true sportsman who found freedom in the game.
As the only left-handed player on the team, he had to work twice as hard to master drills meant for right-handed players, Ashley said.
He added that after Alfred’s death, the team played a game using only their left hands to honour their friend. “It wasn’t pretty,” he said. Pastor Caleb Choi of the Coquitlam Christ Church of China, where the Wong family are congregants, urged the crowd to hold Alfred in their hearts and honour him by living positive lives.