A 25-year-old Malaysian woman named Carmen Caiyi Lee was murdered recently in Georgia, USA. She was just one week shy from celebrating her birthday on 5th June.
According to reports, she was shot to death while driving home on a Saturday night on 29th May. By the time police discovered her vehicle by the roadside, Carmen was unresponsive in the driver’s seat and had allegedly died from the gunshot wound.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Carmen “is among the latest victims of at least 30 shootings this year on roadways in metro Atlanta and surrounding counties” and “is one of 10 who have died after being shot while driving or riding in cars“.
In light of the rising violence in America, authorities believed that Carmen was unfortunately at the “wrong place at the wrong time”. It is understood that 2 individuals were exchanging gunfire at the incident and Carmen got hit by a stray bullet while heading home.
As the oldest of 3 siblings, Carmen graduated from the University of Georgia in 2018 and had been working as a financial portfolio analyst. Her young brother Alvin said she was “the glue that pulled our family together in the darkest of times” and always strived to make their parents proud. Boyfriend Petrus Reyes added that she was the “most gentle soul and always “selfless”.
Here are some testimonies shared by Carmen’s friends and loved ones:
“I had the honour of watching her bloom into a beautiful butterfly as she finished college and started her career. I was so proud of who she had become. We didn’t see each other as much as I would’ve liked, but I cherished all the moments we did have together. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her, but I know she would want us to all be happy and successful because that’s the type of person she was. I love and miss you so much Carmen. I hope you’re resting in peace with Victor.” – Sophia Le
“Carmen, thank you for making me feel welcomed when I first moved to Atlanta. Thank you for all the fun times outdoors, on the trails, camping, snowboarding. I’ve always admired your strong will and ability to push through any challenge. Whether it was reaching the top of a 60ft rock climbing wall despite your fear of heights, or pushing yourself to keep on going after falling all day on the ski slopes. You’ve inspired the lives of so many, and though I only knew you and Petrus for a few years, those years of friendship meant so much to me and I will forever cherish those memories.” – Jason JY
“I worked with Carmen at Boba Mocha. She actually trained me (‘: She was really sweet, kind, & patient. She was my favourite person to work with! She always had a positive outlook on things. Although I’ve never hung out with her outside of work, I remember having really great conversations with her at work.” – Hannah Luna
“Carmen you’re were an angel and always been super nice to me. I always love seeing you and Petrus . Im gonna miss you.” – Nhi C
“I met Carmen in elementary and middle school. I remember having tons of sleepovers at her house with our other friend Aja. Her brother Alvin was always running around or hanging near us. I admired Carmen’s intelligence. She was so smart and made everything look so easy. I loved her soft spoken approach to things… had a way of making everyone feel at ease. We lost touch over the years but she had a huge impact on my childhood and I will always be grateful for our memories. Wish I could find our millions of pictures together. Fly high Carmen. My condolences to all her loved ones.” – Kassie Kurtz
Sources: Crowell Brothers, Next Shark, AJC.
