D.C. Police say they're doing everything possible to keep business owners safe, in the wake of Wednesday's incident when two robbers shot and killed two store owners.
Ming-Kun Chih, 59, and his son Li-Jen, 32, owned the Lida Wholesale Corporation on 5th Street N.E.
The shooting has sparked international attention because the Taiwanese Association of Greater Washington says it's the first murder of Taiwanese immigrants in recent memory.
"Very few people would think of the United States as a place where someone on the streets can just come up and shoot you," John Zang, a reporter with CTI-TV in Taiwan, told News4. He says that all around the globe, the U.S. is considered a place where people can safely develop their own businesses.
On Friday, Police Chief Cathy Lanier and Mayor Adrian Fenty were out in the area of the shooting, trying to reassure storeowners that they will be safe.
"The D.C. government, the people of Washington, and certainly the Metropolitan Police Department will not stand for violence against our merchants," said Mayor Fenty.
Chief Lanier says it's important that officers go around the neighborhoods in their patrol and meet with storeowners so they know each other.
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Lanier says storeowners can also take steps to be safer. "There are a lot of transactions that go on here in the course of day. We want you to keep as little cash on hand as possible, and use armored services when you can, to have cash picked up and dropped off from the business," she said.
Police have not made any arrests in the case, but say they will use surveillance video to help find suspects.
