Holim Lee’s family identified him as one of two people found dead in a Skyline apartment Thursday morning after an eight-hour standoff with local and federal law enforcement. San Diego Police Officer Christopher Wilson was fatally shot as officers first entered the apartment. Lee may have been the shooter. His brother Hojin, however, remembers him as a generous caretaker who was proud to serve his county in the Coast Guard.
Five years in the Coast Guard gave Lee the structure he needed to leave behind the trouble he got into growing up, his younger brother Hojin said.
After the leaving the Coast Guard, Holim couldn’t recreate that structure. Hojin remembers his brother saying every time he took a step forward, he took two steps back.
Hojin now realizes those backwards steps included drugs.
“I think the real issue is just drugs, y’know illegal drugs. I mean, it changes your mind, it changes your personality, it changes your behavior. It’d make you do things that you – that a normal, ordinary person wouldn’t do,” he said.
In 2001 Holim saved an elderly couple from their burning apartment and was commended by San Diego Fire and Rescue, which Hojin said was more in line with the generous caretaker he remembered his brother being while they were growing up.
Hojin and his parents last saw Holim when he moved out of the family’s home a few months ago.
“He left home because he wanted to – he didn’t want to be a burden for our family, he wanted to do things better for himself. He wanted to be self-sufficient, y’know, self-sustaining.”
At the time of his death police had two arrest warrants for Lee. One for assault with a deadly weapon and one for parole violation.
The family expressed their condolences to Officer Christopher Wilson's family in a written statement earlier this week.
