Melbourne community mourns Chinese delivery driver killed in stabbing

A 47-year-old Chinese delivery driver was killed on Friday night in Melbourne’s central business district when a man allegedly attempted to seize his food order and stabbed two riders. The victim, Feng Jianming, had been working in the city to support his wife Xu and their two children in Beijing.

Xu told The Age through a translator that Feng had promised to return for their son’s wedding and had been saving every possible dollar.

“He wanted to save the money and continue working,” Xu said. “He promised that when our son got married, he would definitely return.”

Police arrested a 51-year-old man from Footscray in connection with the attack, though no charges have yet been filed. The other rider injured in the incident has been discharged from hospital, according to Seven News.

Feng’s death has sparked a candlelight vigil on Frederick Way, a laneway frequented by Chinese students and delivery workers. The gathering also turned into a protest over safety concerns in the CBD, with residents voicing their worries to Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece.

Melbourne’s Chinatown Business Association launched a fundraiser that collected $65,000 within five hours, and its president Christina Zhao posted on LinkedIn that the community stands with Feng’s family.

“Our community’s strength is measured not only by the celebrations we share, but by how we stand together during tragedy,” Zhao wrote.

Xu, who has been unable to attend the vigils, is now arranging visas for herself and her children to join her husband’s family in Australia. She asked the public to remember Feng as a husband, father and son, not solely as a delivery rider or a victim of the attack.