The faint singing of Happy Birthday echoed through Hudson Lights Park in Fort Lee, NJ on Saturday, October 12, but there was no cake, no party.

Instead, on what would have been Victoria Lee’s 26th birthday, loved ones gathered to light candles in her memory and called on the Fort Lee Police Department and Mayor’s office for accountability, over two months after Victoria was shot and killed by police during a mental health crisis. 

The Celebration of Life, organized by AAPI New Jersey and other community organizations, brought together advocacy groups from across the Tri-State area, elected officials, faith leaders, allies, and Victoria’s family and friends, many of whom shared touching words as lanterns and candles dotted the park. 

Attendees were welcomed with several of Victoria’s favorite snacks—including banana milk and choco pies—and invited to fold paper stars inscribed with wishes, dedicate a lantern, or sign a giant scroll with demands for the Fort Lee Police Department, Mayor and town council. 

Victoria’s death has invigorated advocates’ calls for justice and reform, many of them pledging to work together to ensure this doesn’t continue to happen. Racquel Romans-Henry of Salvation and Social Justice read the names of individuals who have been killed at the hands of police after their families called for help during similar mental health crises. “I share in your outrage that your tax dollars could result in you being harmed or killed,” said Romans-Henry. “They needed help, not bullets.”

Black Lives Matter Paterson also stood in solidarity with the Lee family. After asking the crowd to join him in demanding justice for Victoria Lee, Zellie Thomas of BLM Paterson said, “Even though she was not a black woman, she was a human being who deserved dignity, care, and support. And if nothing else, life. And that was robbed from her.” The crowd responded passionately to his call of “No more and never again.”

Congressman Andy Kim, also a Korean American, was one of the first speakers. As he looked out into the crowd of people, he shared how much he has learned about Victoria since her tragic death and pointed out that this was a moment of vigilance, not only to remember who she was, but also to never forget her loss. He pledged that her name will not be just a statistic. “As a father, I can think of no greater loss in life than the loss of a child,” said Congressman Kim. “No matter what city, never again should we see anything like this.”

As images of Victoria shuffled on a television screen, Assembly Members Ellen Park and Shama Haider also shared words of encouragement. Asw. Park is pushing for legislation that would require better emergency response preparedness and coordination between mental health professionals and law enforcement responding to mental health crises.

Many speakers called for Officer Tony Pickens, Jr., who fired the fatal shot, to be placed on administrative leave. Victoria’s father, K.Y. Lee, poignantly spoke to the crowd asking why nothing has been done two months after her death. “There has been no process for disciplinary revision,” said Mr. Lee. “No one has been put on administrative leave. Isn’t that the least they can do out of respect for our family?”

Tears welled up in the eyes of attendees as those who knew Victoria best spoke about her fearless pursuit of her dream of becoming a musician, love of cooking traditional Korean foods, and ability to bring light into anyone’s life.

Rachelle Huh, a friend of Victoria’s, expressed her pain in speaking to Victoria’s mother about how they had moved to New Jersey for their children to have a better life and never could have imagined things would turn out this way. 

Trust in police has deeply eroded since Lee’s death, with some speakers asking, who should they call for help if they can’t trust 911? Sungkwan Jang of the One Boat Coalition, who is also a Fort Lee resident, stated, “Just because they put their lives on the line, doesn’t mean our lives should be put on the line when we call 911.”

AAPI New Jersey’s Amber Reed invited everyone to join Victoria’s family as they stood behind a portrait of her with their candles lit. As the solemn gathering concluded, those gathered circled the park together, filling the air with chants of “Justice for Victoria Lee.”