22nd Tacoma Homicide of 2023: Seok Chul "Charlie" Park
You may not be familiar with The Little Store in the 3500 block of South Ainsworth, but you’ve probably been in a convenience store like the one that 60-year-old Seok Park owned. Seok went by “Charlie” and if you shopped at his store he knew your name and probably what you were in the store to purchase. Charlie was a man of joy. He liked to surprise his wife with little gifts. His daughters and two sons adored their father and he shared his love not just with his family, but with his community.
Charlie didn’t talk a lot. When he did it was with kindness, warmth, and respect. He would always give a smile and say goodbye when a customer left. He was the sort of neighborhood store owner that seems all too rare these days.
On October 3, 2023 just before 2:00pm an 18-year-old man entered the store and asked a clerk about the price of e-cigarettes. The employee gave him the price. The man responded by producing a large trash bag and demanding he fill it and then pulled out a gun. The employee hit an emergency button that contacted Charlie. The employee then ran out the front door.
Video shows Charlie running from the back of the store to the front of the store. It shows the 18-year-old approach Charlie. Charlie put his hands up and gets on his knees. The 18-year-old then shot Charlie in the chest. The 18-year-old left the store. Charlie tried crawling towards the door. A customer and one of Charlie’s sons tried to help him, flipping him over, and trying to perform CPR, but Charlie died at the scene becoming Tacoma 22nd Tacoma homicide of 2023.
The next day two teenagers robbed another store, one of them the 18-year-old. This time on Pacific Avenue. They were arrested and charged shortly after that.
A word that I end up using often when writing about homicides is ‘senseless’ and it fits in the death of Charlie Park. This is the very definition of a crime that did not need to happen. And because of these moments no one can erase, a family and community have lost a source of warmth, love, and compassion they can never truly replace.
Charlie’s family has an active GoFundMe campaign. If you have the means please consider donating and sharing the link. I’m sure they could use the assistance.
I can only share what I’ve learned about Charlie and his life. This is why I encourage friends and family to post thoughts and memories of Charlie in the comments and if you are not a friend or family, please leave the space for them.
Thank you.
- Jack Cameron