Terray Sylvester
One of the men killed on a Portland commuter train Friday after intervening to stop a fellow passenger’s anti-Muslim tirade had a positive message to pass along—even as he lay bleeding to death from a neck wound. Rachel Macy, a train passenger who witnessed the fatal stabbing attack, told The Oregonian she was with 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche in his final moments, having stayed by his side even after paramedics arrived. According to Macy, his final words were “Tell everyone on this train I love them.” He later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. Namkai-Meche has been hailed as a hero for trying to stop a fellow passenger from harassing two Muslim women on the train, a move that cost him his life. Two other passengers, Rick Best and Micah Fletcher, joined Namkai-Meche in trying to protect passengers from the suspect in the attack, Jeremy Joseph Christian, who reportedly threatened people on the train in a racially charged tirade. Best was also killed in the incident, after Christian allegedly stabbed all three men in the neck. Fletcher survived the attack and is in serious condition.