紐約市布魯克林區 7 月發生了一宗針對華裔的犯罪案件，一名居住在 Bensonhurst、高齡 89 歲又只懂粵語而不會說英文的華裔老奶奶在當地受到 2 名陌生男子突然的襲擊。這 2 名蒙面男子不僅當街對老奶奶賞巴掌，更在她的背部點火，所幸奶奶及時逃走並靠牆撲滅火勢才未有嚴重傷勢。
ABC後來采訪了這名老人，據其憶述，她7月14日離開位於賓臣墟（Bensonhurst）的住所後，不到幾分鐘就被兩名男子襲擊，背部也很快被潑煤油點火。她逃走後趕緊靠在墻上滅火，所幸並無大礙。老人說她與施襲者素未謀面，對方也沒有試圖搶奪其財物。
事件發生後，不僅當地華裔社區自發遊行抗議，就連美國出生的華裔影星吳彥祖都跳出來，對這種種族歧視行為表示強烈指責，並率先出資 1.5 萬美元懸賞緝凶。
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The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators that attacked a 90-year-old senior has increased to $30,000. After seeing reports of the attack in the last few weeks, actor Daniel Wu has pledged an additional $15,000 to match the $15,000 reward fund established by the board and friends of Homecrest Community Services (HCS) and musician MC Jin. “I was appalled when I saw the news that a 90-year-old grandmother was struck and set on fire in a racially motivated attack,” said Wu. “This attack must be classified as a hate crime and be treated that way by the police department as they continue to investigate. “We all need to stand up against hateful actions like this and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he added. “That’s why I’m offering an additional $15,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of these individuals.”HCS, which provides services to seniors and immigrants mostly in south Brooklyn, first found out about the attack through community members. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, HCS was a key distributor of meals to seniors, and created specialized meals for Asian seniors. The non-profit organization launched a petition and reward following the attack to shine light on the increase in anti-Asian bias crimes. “As we continue to work with law enforcement on investigating this crime and classifying it as a hate crime, it is encouraging to see support for our efforts,” said Don Lee, board chair of Homecrest Community Services. “We thank Daniel Wu for his support and generous donation. We are hopeful that this increase to the reward will encourage more people to come forward with information on those behind this attack.” “The only way we can instill change is to work together. Keep raising awareness,” said MC Jin. “Keep using your voices. We will be heard.” Sign the petition to #EndAsianHateCrimes in the bio.
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隨後曾經參加過《中國有嘻哈》、華裔美國饒舌歌手歐陽靖也一起加入聲援亞裔社群的陣容，現在緝兇懸賞金已經提高至 3 萬美元。歐陽靖也表示：「這是我對亞裔社區下一步應該做些什麼動作的想法，因為針對一個人的仇恨而犯罪，也是對全人類的攻擊。」吳彥祖也呼籲所有人都應團結一致，反對這種仇恨性的種族歧視行為，並且將於9月5日在加州舉行遊行示威，集結華裔能量。
