FREMONT, Calif. (KRON) – A vigil was held on Friday night honoring the life of Michelle Go, the Bay Area native who was pushed to her death in front of a New York City subway.
Friends and community members gathered in Fremont to honor the life of the 40-year-old.
“Even though I didn’t know her personally but I just feel like she could be any one of us. I just want to be here to support her family this is very, very difficult time,” Linda Hsu said.
On Jan. 15, Go was waiting on a New York City subway platform in Times Square when police say she was pushed in front of a train in an unprovoked attack.
61-year-old Simon Martial, who is described as homeless and emotionally disturbed, turned himself in.
Friends say Go was a volunteer helping at-risk and homeless families. She was also working as a consultant in Manhattan.
Go was born in Berkeley and grew up in Fremont. Philip Jang knew her since middle school.
“Everything that they said about her is true. She’s absolutely the best person and we’ve lost a really good person,” Jang said.
Fremont city council member Teresa Keng organized the vigil calling her death a senseless act of violence.
The man accused of pushing Go is charged with second-degree murder.
Police have not classified this as a hate crime but the Asian American community says this is another attack in a string of violent incidents targeting the AAPI community since the pandemic.