WASHINGTON – The H Street corridor rallied to remember a beloved deli owner and community member at a vigil Friday.
Hae Soon Lim, who owned Grace’s Deli in Northeast D.C., was gunned down in her store Thursday morning during an attempted robbery.
Her son Peter says he’s overwhelmed by the love and support from the community.
“There was someone who came in and gave me a hug and said, ‘I used to be homeless. I used to come in and she would feed me,'” he says. “I had no idea. I had no idea.”
Some called Lim “Miss June.” Candles, teddy bears and signs that say “Rest in peace June, we will miss you” lined the outside of the store at 7th and H streets NE.
One person says Lim fussed at her customers like they were her children. During the vigil, many people told Peter how much his mother meant to them.
“She fed us,” a community member said. “If we didn’t have it, she gave it to us. And we want you to know by doing this how many lives your mother has touched.”
Thomas Young says he grew up in the neighborhood.
“She was a neighbor,” he says. “She was a friend. She was everything.”
Police have put out a $25,000 reward for information about Lim’s death that leads to an arrest. Memorial services are planned for this weekend.
WTOP’s Thomas Warren contributed to this story. Follow WTOP on Twitter.
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