Underneath a rail corridor, a mother shares the last words her son Aidan Becker heard
In the fading light beneath the commuter rail corridor, the usual clang of trains had given way to almost perfect silence.
The hum of engines, strange bird chirping, and a soft sob could be heard in the distance. The incident, which was the scene of a massacre last week, turned into a sea of light for Aidan Becker, who was said to be loved in his last moments.
The 22-year-old’s mother, Nathalie, nestled on the shoulders of family and friends who hugged each other in a tight circle outside a vigil at Mernda train station in Melbourne’s northern suburbs on Friday night.
His voice cracked with sobs as he addressed a crowd of nearly 3,000 people; As they remembered their heroic son, each of their hearts broke along with him.
“We stand here tonight as a broken family. We don’t know how to heal and what tomorrow will be like,” Nathalie said.
Becker’s mother thanked the community for their support and bystanders who tried to save her son’s life after he was allegedly defending a 14-year-old student.
He would never forget someone standing there: Anthony. “Thank you, Anthony, for telling my son that so many people loved him, because those would have been the last words he ever heard,” Nathalie said.
This time last week, 22-year-old Becker, who has been hailed as a hero with “the purest soul,” was among a group of bystanders who intervened to help the 14-year-old.
A group of teenagers allegedly tried to rob him at the train station, then severely assaulted him and pushed him to the ground.
Becker led the 14-year-old away from the train station, but police allege the group followed the pair, punched, kicked and eventually fatally stabbed Becker.
Police found the 22-year-old unconscious, seriously injured, and tried to resuscitate him, but he died at the scene.
Becker’s father, Matthias, and sister, Siobhan, accompanied the 22-year-old Becker’s mother onstage Friday night but did not address the crowd.
Family member Emad was the last relative to speak. The 22-year-old was deeply loved and said his life should never have been ended.
But in all the darkness there was the light of good people.
“As a father of two young children, I have to remind them that there are many good people left in our society. This gives me faith in our children,” Emad said. “Rest in peace, Aidan.”
Thousands of mourners, including children, parents, grandparents and uniformed emergency workers, held candles above their heads in a moment of silence for Becker.
A photo of the 22-year-old graced the stage alongside white and blue balloons, the colors of the North Melbourne Football Club jersey, which hung with others in front of the speakers.
Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson was among those who paid tribute afterwards.
The 22-year-old actor worked as a security guard at the Alfred hospital, where colleagues remembered him as a “dedicated, respected and much-loved” member of the team.
It’s in the nature of conservation, community organizer Faz Paton said Friday night.
“Aidan showed unforgettable courage and selflessness,” Paton said.
“The way he lived, the way he cared for others and the way he stepped forward when someone needed help is part of the legacy he left behind.”
In the days since Becker’s death, the community has rallied around his family with a donation page that has raised more than $100,000.
Four teenage boys (two 17-year-olds, a 16-year-old, and 18-year-old Mike Pikos) were charged with murder and armed robbery over her death.
At the end of the vigil, a crowd of thousands marched in solemn procession to a large mausoleum filled with floral gifts for Becker. A local mother’s note read: “The world needs more brave and compassionate people like you to help a stranger in trouble.”
As some mourners stooped to place candles and flowers, they stopped to look at a photo of Becker; his face was forever branded on the walls of the train station.
Our Breaking News Alert will I will let you know Important breaking news when it happens. Get it here.
