Bob Lee, the founder of the multibillion-dollar tech company Cash app, was fatally stabbed near San Francisco’s city centre on Tuesday, April 4. The police discovered a man, aged 43, with stab wounds and tried to administer medical assistance. However, he passed away in the hospital after succumbing to fatal stab wounds.
So what exactly happened?
The incident occurred on Tuesday around 02:35 local time (10:35 BST), and police officers reacted to reports of a stabbing. The San Francisco Standard has CCTV footage that shows Mr Lee wandering down a deserted alleyway, seeking help after being assaulted. He then walks up to a parked vehicle and lifts his shirt to show his injury.
The car, however, drives away before the tech entrepreneur collapses to the ground. Mr Lee was discovered unconscious in the Rincon Hill neighbourhood, with two stab wounds to his chest. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the police gave him first aid before transporting him to the hospital.
Who was Bob Lee?
Bob Lee was the chief product officer at MobileCoin, a cryptocurrency business. He earlier served as the chief technology officer of Square (now Block), a financial technology start-up co-founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
Read Also: South African Rapper AKA Shot Dead in Durban
“Our dear friend and colleague, Bob Lee passed away yesterday at the age of 43, survived by a loving family and collection of close friends and collaborators,” Goldbard said in a statement to CNN Wednesday morning. “Bob was a dynamo, a force of nature. Bob was the genuine article. He was made for the world that is being born right now, he was a child of dreams, and whatever he imagined, no matter how crazy, he made real we will miss you, Bob. We love you,” Josh Goldbard, the CEO of his current employer, MobileCoin said as he confirmed his death.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel Switch TV
According to a statement on Facebook by Rick Lee, the father of Bob Lee, he confirmed the news of his son’s death by saying, “I just lost my best friend.” The father mentioned that his son “lost his life on the street in San Francisco early Tuesday.” He also stated that his son was a kind-hearted person who would “give you the shirt off his back” and who believed in a non-judgmental approach towards others.
Brooke Jenkins, San Francisco district attorney, tweeted a tip line number and wrote “We do not tolerate these horrific acts of violence in San Francisco”.
Lee, 43, had sold his multi-million dollar property in the Bay Area months before his death.
His apparent assessment of San Francisco’s “deterioration” was supported by tech luminaries.
“Many people I know have been severely assaulted,” said Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Violent violence in San Francisco is atrocious, and even when perpetrators are apprehended, they are frequently released quickly.”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in a statement that “the homicide of Bob Lee is a horrible tragedy” and sought to assure residents the city was “prioritising public safety”.
Where investigations have reached
At a community forum on neighbourhood safety in the city’s Sunset District on Thursday night, Police Chief Scott stated an arrest had been made but provided no other details.
Since the pandemic, homicides have been a special concern in San Francisco. In 2021 and 2022, the city had 56 homicides, and preliminary police data indicate that there have been 12 homicides in San Francisco this year.
In this instance, San Francisco officers have yet to identify a suspect, and no arrests have been made as part of the ongoing investigation.
