Recovery by Wounded Girl ‘a Miracle’

A 9-year-old girl shot during a robbery at her parents’ South-Central Los Angeles mini-mart staged a “miracle” recovery and was released from the hospital amid growing calls Tuesday from African-American and Korean-American leaders to denounce violence in the two communities.

Juri Kang, the only child of Hong and Soon Kang, had been in critical condition at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center after a robber’s bullet passed through her leg, struck her chest and collapsed her lung Saturday.

But the hospital’s medical director and chief of staff, James Haughton, said doctors were able to insert a tube into Juri’s chest to reinflate the lung and drain blood, allowing her release late Monday.

“It’s a miracle,” Haughton said. “When she came in she was critical . . . but children are very resilient. She’s going to be fine.”

Juri’s mother, standing behind the counter of Kang’s Shell Station at Broadway and Century Boulevard, attributed her daughter’s speedy recovery to her desire to be reunited with family.

“She didn’t want to be with strangers,” said Soon Kang, whose right eye was severely bruised from what she said was a scuffle with another robber last week. “She just wants to be with her mom and dad.”

Because Juri is the daughter of Korean immigrants and the gunman is black, the incident has captured the attention of the two communities. Relations have been strained by violent encounters that have left blacks and Korean-Americans dead.

On Tuesday, leaders in both communities urged an end to the carnage.

The Brotherhood Crusade, which has protested shootings of blacks by Korean-American shopkeepers, said it would send representatives to visit the Kangs and offer the organization’s resources.

The group’s president, Danny Bakewell--flanked by City Councilman Nate Holden, Urban League President John Mack and the Rev. Dan Morgan--told reporters that he is opposed to all senseless shootings.

“We put a premium on African-American life and we will not apologize for that,” Bakewell said. “But we are here today to say that we also put a premium on Korean-American life.”

Mack said he was calling on the community “to stand up once and for all and say, ‘Enough is enough--we’re not going to take this anymore.’ ”

Korean-American leaders, who have sought to downplay attacks on merchants for fear of fanning racial tensions, said they would call a news conference today to condemn the shooting.

“The main message is to denounce the violence and say we don’t view this as a black-Korean issue,” said Jerry Yu, executive director of the Korean American Coalition. “We also hope to shed light on the plight of Korean merchants who have to operate in this kind of environment, facing death every day.”

Shell Oil Co., which offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the assailant, was joined by local officials Tuesday. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas introduced a motion for a $5,000 reward and, on Supervisor Kenneth Hahn’s motion, the Board of Supervisors authorized a $10,000 reward.

“This reward sends a message that we abhor the violence taking place in our city and must take action to stop it,” Ridley-Thomas said. Juri was shot early Saturday as she sat huddled in the back room of her family’s mini-mart while a robber ordered her parents to lie face-down on the floor. Police speculate that the robber shot the girl because he was afraid she could identify him.