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Vigils for subway victim
Vigils here held on Tuesday evening in New York and San Francisco to pay tribute to Michelle Go, who was shoved to her death in the Times Square subway station.
NEW YORK - Michelle Alyssa Go was remembered in vigils in New York and San Francisco on Tuesday evening. The Upper West Side woman and Bay Area native was killed after she was pushed into an oncoming subway train at the Times Square Subway Station on Saturday.
Elected leaders joined her family, friends, and coworkers for the Michelle Go NYC tribute at 6 p.m. at Father Duffy Square, near the red steps by the TKTS booth.
A separate vigil was held in San Francisco. Dozens of people gathered in Portsmouth Square, which is known as the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown.
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Michelle Go, 40, was from Fremont, California. She attended the University of California in Los Angeles as an undergraduate, graduated from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and worked as a Senior Manager of mergers and acquisitions for Deloitte Consulting.
She also spent years as an active volunteer for the New York Junior League, helping at-risk community members including the homeless.
Go's family released a statement saying: "We are in a state of shock and grieving the loss of our daughter, sister, and friend. We hope Michelle will be remembered for how she lived and not just how she died. She was a beautiful, brilliant, kind, and intelligent woman who loved her family and friends, loved to travel the world and to help others. Her life was taken too soon in a senseless act of violence, and we pray that she gets the justice she deserves. Thank you for your condolences."
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Michelle Go vigil planned
Michelle Go will be remembered at a vigil on Tuesday evening in Times Square.
Police have arrested a suspect in the killing. Simon Martial is awaiting arraignment on second-degree murder charges following a mental health evaluation.
Martial, 61, had an extensive criminal history dating back to the 1990s. He was also wanted on an outstanding warrant when he attempted to push another woman onto the tracks before approaching Go.
Martial screamed, "I am God," as police led him out of the Midtown Precinct South after his arrest for the Michelle Go subway killing.
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Fatal subway shoving
The NYPD said that the man accused of shoving a 40-year-old woman in front of a subway has previously done time behind bars for felonies.
Mayor Eric Adams has continued to say the NYPD will ensure the transit system is safe for commuters.
"This is a safe system because of the job of the transit officers have carried out," Adams said. "We're going to continue to enhance, to deal with the mental health crisis that we have in our system."
But the mayor also conceded that even he doesn't feel safe when riding the subway.
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Subway crime rising
At least 56 people have been pushed onto subway tracks over the past two years. Subway crimes have doubled so far this year compared with the same period last year — a 107% increase.