EXCLUSIVE: Harrowing final moments of Cash App founder Bob Lee, 43, as he staggers outside luxury high-rise after knife attack and tries to get help – and residents say video is shocking proof that crime in San Fran is OUT OF CONTROL
- WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT
- Harrowing CCTV footage obtained by DailyMail.com shows Bob Lee staggering and then collapsing on the street after being stabbed in San Francisco
- Lee appears disoriented as he approaches an apartment building at 2:34am Tuesday, clutching his side with one hand, and holding his phone with another
- He tries to flag down a passing car to no avail, before frantically dialing on his phone. The brutal killing has ignited concern over public safety in San Francisco
The final moments of Cash App founder Bob Lee can be seen on CCTV footage as he clutches his wounds and begs passersby for help after his savage stabbing in lawless San Francisco – only to be left to die.
Father-of-two Lee, 43, was knifed multiple times in the chest early Tuesday as he strolled through the progressive city’s well-heeled Rincon Hill neighborhood while on a business trip.
Security video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com reveals how the fading tech mogul made repeated, desperate attempts to flag down passing cars – only to watch in horror as they sped away.
The brutal killing in former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s staunchly Democrat electoral district has ignited concern over public safety and soaring homelessness in San Francisco.
The harrowing video begins with a bloodied and dazed Lee, a former San Francisco resident who fled the area because of soaring crime, staggering along Main Street in the wake of the 2:30am attack.
Harrowing footage obtained by DailyMail.com shows wounded Bob Lee staggering towards an apartment building with blood on his hands after being stabbed in San Francisco early Tuesday
The 43-year-old appears disoriented and collapses in front of The Portside apartment complex on 403 Main Street in Rincon Hill
At one point, Lee attempts to get a passing car’s attention by desperately waving his hand to no avail
At the intersection with Harrison Street, a short walk from the iconic Embarcadero waterfront, he steps in front of a car and appears to lean over the hood pleading for assistance.
The interaction lasted around seconds but the driver of the unidentified red vehicle shockingly drives away.
Lee then stumbles towards the swish Portside apartment building at 403 Main Street, but before he can hit the electronic intercom he collapses backwards.
The dying man lies motionless on the ground for several moments but manages to get to his knees and fumbles with his phone.
When a second car drives past he makes another attempt to wave it down, his outstretched hands covered in blood – but the motorist again drives away.
Eventually Lee gets to his feet, his face drained of all color, and he staggers out of the picture at 2:36am, clutching his chest and leaving a trail of blood spatter on the sidewalk.
According to a report in the San Francisco Standard Lee dialed 911 and screamed ‘Help. Someone stabbed me.’
Police were alerted at approximately 2:35am, matching the timestamps displayed in DailyMail.com’s exclusive footage, which was shot from two separate cameras.
He is then seen texting frantically in an apparent attempt to seek help
He eventually gets to his feet, his face drained of all color, and he staggers out of the picture at 2:36am, clutching his chest and leaving a trail of blood spatter on the sidewalk
CCTV footage from a second camera inside the lobby shows Lee stumbling towards the entrance of the building before falling over
Lee lies motionless on the ground for several moments but manages to get to his knees and fumbles with his phone
The first device, pointing out from inside the Portside building, reveals the reception desk was unmanned when Lee came into shot, wearing a black jacket, grey pants and black shoes.
A second, external camera pointing back through the front doors, confirms that – tragically – nobody was inside the lobby either.
Officers raced to the scene and rendered first aid but by then it was too late to save Lee, formerly chief technology officer at Square, where he created Cash App, and current chief product officer at MobileCoin.
‘The victim was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Despite efforts by first responders and medical personnel, the victim succumbed to his injuries,’ the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) said.
A kitchen knife with a 4-inch blade was reportedly found in a parking lot across the street but cops are yet to make any arrests.
In a press conference Wednesday evening, SFPD Chief Bill Scott declined to offer a motive for the attack and would not say if it was targeted or random.
‘I have nothing to share yet,’ he said. ‘We don’t want to be premature and definitely we don’t want to speculate so we are going to be thoughtful about following the evidence and we’ll put out what we’ll put out as soon as we can.’
Lee’s tragic death has drawn attention to San Francisco’s rise in crime, which some critics have blamed on its progressive ‘anti-law enforcement’ policies.
The second camera pointing back through the front doors, confirms that – tragically – nobody was inside the lobby either
Tech executive and investor Bob Lee helped create Android and Cash App
General views of the Portside apartment building following Lee’s tragic death
Mourners have since laid flowers and sympathy messages by a tree outside the building
So far this year there have been 39 murders in the city. The San Francisco Police Department is currently experiencing a shortage of 541 officers.
Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk was among a host of tech leaders hitting out at the lawlessness in the wake of Lee’s slaying, writing on Twitter: ‘Many people I know have been severely assaulted.
‘Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.’
Locals told DailyMail.com they blamed the ‘soft-on-crime’ progressive policies brought in by the likes of former District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who was tossed from office in a recall election last year.
‘It’s too liberal. Too much. And we’re paying for it,’ said one. ‘Repeat offenders are back out on the streets in a heartbeat and there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re scared.’
Lee had left the San Francisco area six months ago and moved to Miami but was back in the city on business. He had extended his trip by one day when he was murdered.
‘He did comment on San Francisco deteriorating, which is why he actually had just relocated to Miami,’ said Jake Shields, a champion UFC fighter who knew Lee well.
Shields told NewsNation that Lee had ‘no enemies,’ adding: ‘He was a good human being — he added to society, he was a good person, everyone loved him.
Bob Lee, pictured with his wife Krista and two daughters, had decided to stay an extra day in San Francisco on a business trip
Officers raced to the scene and rendered first aid but by then it was too late to save Lee
Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk also commented on the horrific incident, asking the San Francisco DA what she is doing to ‘incarcerate repeated violent offenders’
‘He was really respected in the tech community, never talked about his accomplishments, other people would tell me, ‘Oh yeah, Bob’s a super big deal in the tech industry.”
He also slammed the city’s lack of public safety in a tweet: ‘I just found out my good friend was killed last night while walking [in] San Francisco.
‘He was in the ‘good’ part of the city and appeared to have been targeted in a random mugging/attack. F— San Francisco.’
Lee, dubbed ‘Crazy Bob’ by friends, was an active investor in numerous companies, such as SpaceX, Clubhouse and Figma.
Shaken friends and colleagues paid tribute to the slain tech executive, with Joshua Goldbard saying: ‘My heart is broken tonight’.
Co-Founder of Twitter Jack Dorsey added: ‘It’s real. Getting calls. Heartbreaking. Bob was instrumental to Square and Cash App.’
Shown is the Rincon Hill neighborhood along Main Street near where Bob Lee was fatally stabbed in San Francisco
Lee was chief technology officer at Square, recently renamed Block, when it developed and launched Square Cash in 2013. The brand has grown into Cash App, with tens of millions of users in the US and the UK.
Lee’s stabbing happened despite the swish Rincon Hill neighborhood boasting 24/7 private security patrols funded by sky-high property taxes, according to the SF Gate website.
At the time of the stabbing, two security guards were roaming through their 67-block route, but were not nearby, Andrew Robinson, executive director of the East Cut Community Benefit District, told the outlet.
Police are urging anyone with information to come forward by calling the SFPD tip-line on 415-575-4444.
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