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Gang member
may face life
term in slaying

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By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

A 23-year-old gang leader convicted yesterday of chasing down and murdering a rival gang member had been convicted of similar behavior before.

That's why the state is expected to ask that the court sentence Edwin Kim to serve a mandatory life term with parole consecutive with terms he will receive for possessing a firearm and being a felon in possession.

"He was convicted before of the same type of predatory, hunting behavior," said Deputy Prosecutor Eric Sacks. In the earlier case, a car Kim was in had driven after another car, and Kim beat the driver and threatened him with a firearm.

A jury yesterday found Kim guilty of second-degree murder and two firearms offenses in the Nov. 20, 1999, death of 21-year-old Gercel Ong, a rival gang member.

The state contends Kim and his friends in a car chased a Tercel occupied by Ong and his friends and cornered the car before Kim fired his gun at Ong's head.

The driver of Kim's car had testified for the state that when he asked Kim where he was aiming, Kim said, "At the head."

Kim, the state contends, is the leader of Kids Gone Bad, or KGB.

"It's a good win for our office because we're taking down the leader of a youth gang who's a very dangerous person," Sacks said. "We certainly hope it sends the message that gang activity will not be tolerated on the island of Oahu."

Kim will be sentenced Jan. 11 before Circuit Judge Sandra Simms.

Defense attorney Keith Shigetomi said Kim was "stunned" at the verdict.

The defense had disputed the state's contention that the incident was gang-related and argued that Kim did not intend to kill anyone.

Kim and his friends were angry because they thought the occupants were the same people who had thrown rocks at them earlier, Shigetomi said.

He will discuss with Kim whether he wants to appeal.