Portlanders Have Already Raised $125,000 For "TriMet Heroes" Killed and Injured in MAX Hate Attack

"They are heroes, yet their families are not only going to be faced with the pain of losing people they love, but with financial hardships. "

MAX red line (Courtesy of TriMet)

Two different campaigns are raising money for the men stabbed with a knife yesterday on a MAX train near Hollywood, after coming to the defense of two women who were being subjected to a litany of racist and anti-Muslim slurs.

In less than 24 hours, they have raised more than $125,000.

When multiple men intervened on the women’s behalf, the assailant reportedly pulled out a knife and slashed two men’s throats, according to witnesses. A third stabbing victim was nonfatally injured.

Known white supremacist John Jeremy Christian has been arrested and charged with aggravated murder, among other crimes.

Calling the murdered men “TriMet Heroes,” restaurateur Nick Zukin has stepped forward to spearhead a Gofundme page to raise money for the men’s families.

Restaurateur Nick Zukin, owner of Pearl District guisado restaurant Mi Mero Mole, has started a crowdsourcing campaign to help the families of the two men murdered while trying to help their fellow passengers.

The two men have been identified as retired army veteran and city employee Ricky John Best, and recent Reed College grad Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche. On the fundraiser page, Zukin writes:

“Two men were killed today because they stood up for two Muslim women who were being harassed on Tri-Met by a racist, Another was injured. They are heroes, yet their families are not only going to be faced with the pain of losing people they love, but with financial hardships from their passings. I’ve started this GoFundMe to help them with costs as a result of their deaths and injuries.  All donations will go to the victim’s families.

Another crowdsourcing page has been set up to help pay the medical bills of the third victim, admitted to the hospital in critical condition yesterday.

Carlos Espinoza, who identified himself as a friend of the victim, has started a crowd-sourcing campaign to help offset the medical bills of the third victim, who was critically injured during the stabbing spree. So far, that campaign has raised about $21,669, with a goal of $50,000.

Zukin’s campaign to raise funds to help families of the two murder victims has raised nearly $108,000, with an estimated goal of $110,000.

Zukin worries that even the goal amount will be insufficient.

“Hopefully the goal is just a starting point,” he writes. “They will certainly need more than this. And no amount of money will ever lessen their heartbreak.”

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