'The community loved her as much as I did': Vigil planned for woman killed in Osborne Village fire

WINNIPEG -

A vigil is being held Thursday night for the woman who was killed in a fire in Osborne Village, which police said was a homicide.

The fire happened Sunday in the 100 block of Scott Street, and spread to a home in the 300 block of Wardlaw Avenue. The building on Scott Street consisted of E-Mart Groceries on the lower level and a home on the second floor.

Firefighters rescued Jung Shin, 60, from the second floor of the building. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where she died of her injuries. Another person was also in the residence above the store at the time of the fire, but managed to escape and was taken to the hospital.

Vigil organizer Megan Ross, who lives in the area by the convenience store, said the two people who worked at the E-Mart were very kind and hardworking.

“[The store] just brought people from nearby,” she said.

“It was just a safe place to come. People felt very welcome visiting here.”

She said she saw the tragic fire at the building on Sunday and was ‘”devastated” by what was happening.

“I didn’t think it would cost someone’s life, especially the life of someone I cared very deeply about,” Ross said with tears in her eyes.

She said she kept thinking about what happened and felt something needed to be done to commemorate Shin’s memory.

“I just couldn’t not do it,” Ross said.

“I just felt it had to be done. I would regret it if I didn’t. I just wanted to get the community together to show their love and support for this family.”

Ross noted that over the past few days, people have been leaving flowers and messages at the site of the fire.

“I’m so happy that the community loved her as much as I did,” she said.

Several messages are written on the door of the E-Mart Convenience Store to pay tribute to Jung Shin, who was killed in a fire on August 16, 2021. (CTV News Photo Scott Andersson)

The vigil begins at 8 p.m. in front of E-Mart at 157 Scott St.

Police said the fire was the result of an arson. No arrests have been made.

Officers are asking the public’s help in finding the suspect, described as a 30-year-old man who is about five-foot-10 with an athletic build. Police said the suspect has short, light-coloured hair or a shaved head and was wearing a blue Adidas baseball cap, a black t-shirt, black shorts, black shoes with white soles, and a black COVID-19 mask.

- With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre and Scott Andersson.