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Killing of Michelle Go

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This article is about the woman who died in New York. For the actress, see Michelle Goh.
Killing of Michelle Go
Undated photo of Go
DateJanuary 15, 2022; 2 years ago (2022-01-15)
LocationNew York City, U.S.
TypeHomicide by pushing
MotivePsychosis[1]
TargetMichelle Alyssa Go, aged 40
AccusedMartial Simon (deemed unfit to stand trial)
ChargesSecond-degree murder
Michelle Go
Chinese高慧民[2]
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGāo Huìmín

Michelle Alyssa Go (December 29, 1981 – January 15, 2022) was a 40-year-old Chinese-American woman who was pushed into the path of an oncoming New York City Subway train at the Times Square–42nd Street station, resulting in her death. The suspect, Martial Simon, was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder.[3][4]

Biography

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Michelle Go was born to Justin and Marjorie Go on December 29, 1981, in Berkeley, California.[4] She was their second child after their first daughter died in infancy.[5] Go grew up in Fremont, California, with her parents and her brother Jefferey.[6][7] Circa 1994, she attended American High School in Fremont, where she was a member of the Honor Society as well as a cheerleader. She graduated in 1998. She studied economics at University of California, Los Angeles, graduating with a degree in economics in 2002. She first worked at Ferguson Plumbing Supply in Pasadena, California, as a customer service and sales representative.[4][8]

In 2010, she obtained a Master of Business Administration from the New York University Stern School of Business. She worked at Barclays Capital, before joining financial firm Deloitte, where she worked in mergers and acquisitions.[4]

Go was known for her volunteer work. She had worked with the New York Junior League (NYJL) for over a decade, helping many low-income New Yorkers. The NYJL released a statement after her death.[9]

Death

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On January 15, 2022, Go left her apartment on the Upper West Side of New York City and was waiting for an R train at Times Square-42nd Street station.[10] According to police, at about 9:30 a.m. Go was pushed from behind onto the tracks into the path of the oncoming R train. The perpetrator was identified as 61-year-old Martial Simon. Go was pronounced dead at the scene.[11][12] Simon fled the scene but later surrendered and admitted guilt.[13]

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Simon, a former taxi driver originally from Haiti,[14] had been previously convicted of attempted robbery in 1999 and 2019 and had a warrant out for violating his parole.[13] Shortly before the incident, he had allegedly been harassing other commuters. Another woman later told investigators that she had also been approached by Simon and that she felt threatened by him, so she walked away from him. Simon turned himself in to police shortly after the incident, and has been charged with second-degree murder.[15]

According to the police, Simon has a history of mental illness, having been diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2002.[14] Attorney H. Mitchell Schuman of New York County Defender Services said that, instead of understanding the complex issue of a city “[w]ith so many unhoused people with unaddressed mental illness walking the streets of our city, it would be a shame if Mr. Simon was sacrificed at the altar of vengeful public opinion instead of seeking a deeper understanding of these complex issues now facing our society."[13] On April 19, 2022, Simon was deemed unfit to stand trial and indefinitely committed to a locked psychiatric facility.[16] On April 30, 2024, Simon was deemed mentally fit to stand trial.[17]

Reaction and concern

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Go's death received attention due to its unprovoked malice. Vigils, organized in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, were attended by hundreds of mourners. The case inflamed concerns over the homelessness and mental illness crises and elevated fears of soaring rates of violent hate crime, with residents calling for better security and social policies.[18][19][20][11] Since the killing occurred during the rise of hate crimes against East Asians in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Go's parents and the press speculated about whether she was targeted due to her race, though investigators did not consider the act a hate crime. Journalists highlighted the killing of Go as an example for the lack of safety women, particularly those belonging to minorities, experienced in the city, typically alongside the murder of Christina Yuna Lee that occurred the same month, as both victims were women of East Asian descent killed by homeless men.[5][21][22][23]

Following Go's death, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced in February 2022 that it would install platform screen doors at three stations as part of a pilot program. The stations included the 7 and <7>​ trains' platform at Times Square, as well as the E platform at Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport and at Third Avenue.[24][25] Even before Go's death, there had been calls to install platform screen doors at several stations, but the MTA had not done so. The pilot program at Times Square does not include the platform where Go was killed.[24]

In May 2024, four U.S. representatives introduced the Michelle Go Act, which would allow Medicaid funds to be used to pay for stays at a wider range of psychiatric facilities.[26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kaufman, Maya. "Fatal Neglect: Homeless New Yorkers with serious mental illness keep falling through the cracks despite billions in spending". crainsnewyork. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  2. ^ "我的女儿高慧民被推下纽约地铁，她的生命应该被记住". 纽约时报中文网 (in Chinese). January 16, 2023. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Funk, Luke (January 19, 2022). "Michelle Go Case: Homeless man charged in Times Square subway killing". FOX 5 NY. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Sanchez, Ray; Moshtaghian, Artemis (January 19, 2022). "Times Square subway victim Michelle Alyssa Go remembered as a 'compassionate soul'". CNN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Go, Justin; Wong, Harry (January 15, 2023). "Opinion | I Am Michelle Go's Father. I Am Marking Her Death Where She Lived". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Ardrey, Taylor (January 19, 2022). "The family of the 40-year-old woman who was pushed in front of NYC subway train says they're 'in a state of shock'". Insider. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  7. ^ Lin, Summer (January 17, 2022). "Woman killed after being pushed onto NYC subway tracks grew up in Fremont". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Go, Justin (January 16, 2023). "我的女儿高慧民被推下纽约地铁，她的生命应该被记住". 纽约时报中文网 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Sanchez, Ray; Moshtaghian, Artemis. "Times Square subway victim Michelle Alyssa Go remembered as a 'compassionate soul'". CNN. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  10. ^ Kilander, Gustaf (January 18, 2022). "Family of NYC subway victim shoved to death in front of a train speak out". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Tully, Tracey; Southall, Ashley (January 19, 2022). "Woman Pushed Onto Subway Tracks 'Never Saw' Her Attacker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  12. ^ Lonas, Lexi (January 19, 2022). "Judge orders psychiatric evaluation for suspect in fatal New York subway attack". The Hill. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c Novini, Rana (January 19, 2022). "DA: Man in Woman's Deadly Times Square Subway Shove Used Both Hands to Kill Her". NBC New York. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Newman, Andy; Schweber, Nate; Marcius, Chelsia Rose (February 5, 2022). "Decades Adrift in a Broken System, Then Charged in a Death on the Tracks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  15. ^ Woodward, Alex (January 16, 2022). "Suspect and victim in deadly Times Square subway attack identified". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  16. ^ Newman, Andy (April 19, 2022). "Man Charged in Fatal Subway Push Deemed Unfit for Trial". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  17. ^ Schnitzer, Kyle (April 30, 2024). "Homeless man who fatally shoved Michelle Go in NYC subway explodes in court as DA claims he's now mentally fit for trial". New York Post. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  18. ^ Branigin, Anne (January 19, 2022). "For many, Michelle Go's NYC subway death highlights failures in public safety for women". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  19. ^ Price, Michelle L. (January 19, 2022). "NYC mayor says even he doesn't feel safe on subway system". AP News. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  20. ^ Lin, Summer (January 19, 2022). "Mourners attend vigils in S.F., NYC for Michelle Go, Bay Area native and subway attack victim". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  21. ^ Kaur, Harmeet (March 15, 2022). "Attacks on Asian American women are igniting a conversation about public safety". CNN. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024.
  22. ^ Venkatraman, Sakshi (February 16, 2022). "'Nowhere is safe': Asian women reflect on brutal New York City killings". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024.
  23. ^ "Statement on Christina Yuna Lee and Michelle Alyssa Go". Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. February 16, 2022. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Gold, Michael (February 23, 2022). "Subway Will Test Platform Doors at 3 Stations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  25. ^ Brosnan, Erica (February 23, 2022). "MTA: Platform barrier pilot program to launch in three stations". Spectrum News NY1 | New York City. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  26. ^ Newman, Andy (May 23, 2024). "Subway Killing Spurs Bill to Expand Medicaid Funds for Psychiatric Beds". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
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