King County Metro to briefly pause service twice on Thursday in honor of slain Transit Operator Shawn Yim

This week we will solemnly mark the anniversary of the murder of King County Metro Transit Operator Shawn Yim. Among other ceremonies, we will honor Shawn on Thursday, Dec. 18, by pausing service twice for a moment of silence and remembrance.

All of Metro continues to mourn the loss and honor Shawn’s memory. Shawn was a kind and dedicated public servant, beloved by his family and friends, and was funny, warm and thoughtful to his colleagues and riders.

The first moment of silence occurs early Thursday at 2:54 a.m., marking the time the tragedy occurred a year ago. Operators will pull over buses and pause service where it is safe to do so. Riders will be notified in advance through transit alerts and on-board announcements.

A second moment of silence will be held Thursday afternoon at 2:54 p.m. Hundreds of Metro and Sound Transit buses will be in service at that time; again, the majority will pull over safely where possible. Operators will not pause service on highways or other locations where stopping is unsafe.

In the year since Shawn’s passing, we have remained dedicated to enhancing safety and supporting our employees. Working closely with our partners through a Regional Transit Safety Task Force, we have made meaningful progress on these commitments, including moving forward with operator safety partitions and increased security staffing. We will continue to build on these initial successes.

This week Metro and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 587 will hold an employee-only ceremony to unveil a memorial bench that will be installed on the grounds of our Central-Atlantic Bus Base. In addition, at all seven Metro bases, flowers will be placed by newly installed memorial plaques, along with a commemorative book containing messages from Metro colleagues and riders, as well as photos and artwork from his honor procession and memorial. Employees have been invited to leave additional written reflections.

After his death, riders shared how Shawn took extra care in making sure every child going to school caught the bus safely, how he encouraged them not to run and assured them he’d wait. Other riders told us of his warm attention to older passengers needing directions or help transferring to their next bus.

It was our honor that Shawn chose Metro for his career. It has been a difficult year, but together, we have found comfort in our shared dedication to service, purpose and community. We remain steadfast in our commitment to continually improving safety and security for our employees and riders.