In fading light beneath a suburban rail corridor, the usual clanging of trains was replaced by an almost perfect silence.
There was the distant murmur of engines, the odd bird’s chirp, and a soft sob. What was last week a scene of carnage became a sea of light for Aidan Becker, who, in his last moments, was told he was loved.
The 22-year-old’s mother, Nathalie, nuzzled into the shoulders of her family and friends on Friday night, who clung to each other in a tight circle in front of a vigil at Mernda train station in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
Her voice cracked with sobs as she addressed a crowd of about 3000 people – each of their hearts breaking with her, as she remembered her heroic boy.
“We stand here tonight as a family broken. We don’t know how we heal, and what tomorrow looks like,” Nathalie said.
Becker’s mother thanked the community for their support, and the bystanders who tried to save her son’s life after he was fatally stabbed after allegedly defending a 14-year-old schoolboy.
She would never forget one bystander – Anthony. “Thank you, Anthony, for telling my boy that so many loved him, because those would have been the last words he heard,” Nathalie said.
This time last week, Becker – a 22-year-old who is being remembered as a hero with the “purest soul” – was among a group of bystanders who stepped in to help the 14-year-old.
A group of teenagers allegedly tried to rob him at the train station, before seriously assaulting him and pushing him to the ground.
Becker walked the 14-year-old away from the train station, but police allege the group followed the pair, punching, kicking and ultimately fatally stabbing Becker.
Police found the 22-year-old unconscious with serious injuries, and tried to revive him – but he died at the scene.
Becker’s father Matthias and sister Siobhan joined the 22-year-old’s mother on stage on Friday night, but did not address the crowd.
Family member Emad was the final relative to speak. The 22-year-old was so deeply loved, and his life should have never been taken, he said.
But in all the darkness, there was the light of good people.
“As a father of two teenagers, I need to remind them that there are so many good people left in our communities. It gives me faith for our children,” Emad said. “Rest in peace, Aidan.”
Thousands of mourners – among them, children, parents, grandparents and uniformed emergency services workers – held candles high above their heads in a minute’s silence for Becker.
A photograph of the 22-year-old adorned the stage alongside white and blue balloons – the colours of the North Melbourne Football Club jersey that hung with others in front of the speakers.
Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson was among those who later laid flowers in tribute.
The 22-year-old worked as a security guard at The Alfred hospital, where his colleagues remembered him as “a dedicated, respected and much-loved” member of the team.
It was in his nature to protect, community organiser Faz Paton said on Friday night.
“Aidan showed a level of courage and selflessness that will not be forgotten,” Paton said.
“The way he lived, the way he cared for others, and the way he stepped forward when someone needed help are part of the legacy he leaves behind.”
In the days since Becker’s death, the community has rallied around his family, with a donation page raising more than $100,000.
Four teenage boys – two 17-year-olds, a 16-year-old, and 18-year-old Mike Pikos – have each been charged with murder and armed robbery over his death.
At the end of the vigil, the crowd of thousands walked in solemn procession to a sprawling shrine of floral tributes for Becker. One note from a local mother read: “The world needs more courageous and caring people like you, to step in and help a stranger in trouble.”
As some mourners bent down to lay candles and flowers, they paused to look up at a photograph of Becker – his face, forever imprinted on the railway station’s walls.
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