Stephenson C. Kim, 45, the convicted gunman behind a deadly 2004 Cypress café shooting, has died following an apparent prison fight at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. Corrections officials say staff found Kim unconscious in a housing unit last Sunday after a clash with another incarcerated man, triggering a homicide investigation that now involves both prison authorities and the Solano County district attorney's office.
Officials Lay Out Prison Fight Timeline
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, staff responded at about 7:20 PM to a reported physical altercation between Kim and another incarcerated person inside a housing unit. When officers reached Kim, he was unresponsive, and staff launched life-saving measures on the spot.
Kim was first treated in the prison’s triage and treatment area, then transferred to an outside hospital for further care. Despite those efforts, a physician pronounced him dead on Monday at 6:30 PM. The corrections department says the death is being handled as a suspected homicide while the investigation is underway.
Other Inmate Named, Placed In Restricted Housing
Local coverage has identified the other prisoner involved as 30-year-old Joe Duty Jr., who was evaluated by medical staff and then moved into restricted housing after the incident, according to SFGATE. Officials say Duty was admitted to state custody from San Joaquin County in February 2025 and is serving a 14-year term for rape and related offenses.
From Cypress Café Carnage To Life Term
Kim’s name first drew public attention after the March 2004 shooting at the 5th Wave Café in Cypress, a late-night attack that killed 22-year-old Venus Hyun and wounded several others. Prosecutors said Kim was a member of an Asian street gang at the time. He was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 255 years to life, as reported by CBS Bay Area. Contemporary accounts of the café shooting and its aftermath were covered by the Los Angeles Times.
Homicide Probe And Next Steps
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says the California Medical Facility’s Investigative Services Unit is working the case alongside the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, and the state Office of the Inspector General has been notified. Duty will remain in restricted housing while investigators collect evidence and prosecutors decide whether to pursue criminal charges.
Inside The Vacaville Medical Lockup
The California Medical Facility operates as a medium-security medical prison, housing inmates who need specialized treatment. It provides inpatient psychiatric services and runs a state-licensed prison hospice program, according to SFGATE. Officials have not disclosed what led up to the January 4 confrontation or what might have sparked the violence, and investigators are still gathering evidence on the circumstances of Kim’s death, CBS Bay Area reported.
