Delivery rider, 47, stabbed to death after confronting man over bicycle, leaves behind wife and 2 children
A 47-year-old Chinese food delivery rider who spent nine years working in Australia to support his family back home was stabbed to death following a confrontation over a bicycle in Melbourne.
The man, identified as Feng Jianming, was working for food delivery platform HungryPanda when the incident occurred near Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne’s city centre at about 8.10pm on Nov 6.
Another delivery rider, aged 34, was injured in the incident.
According to Australia’s ABC News, the two riders had spotted a man allegedly tampering with their bicycles along Frederick Way and confronted him.
An altercation broke out, during which Feng was fatally stabbed.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and attempted to resuscitate him, but he died from his injuries.
The other rider was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was subsequently discharged.
Man arrested following fatal stabbing
According to ABC News, Victoria Police arrested a 51-year-old man from Footscray on the morning of Nov 7.
Police said the suspect and the two riders were not believed to have known each other. They were not looking for anyone else in connection with the case.
A worker at a nearby restaurant told 7News that CCTV footage showed a man allegedly kicking over the riders’ bicycles, prompting them to speak to him.
A scuffle broke out, during which Feng was stabbed.
Despite his injuries, Feng managed to make his way back to the restaurant, where he began feeling unwell and sat down.
Staff then noticed he was bleeding.
Efforts to save him were unsuccessful, and he died at the scene.
Worked in Australia for 9 years to support wife, children and elderly father
Feng moved to Australia from China’s Shaanxi province about nine years ago to support his family back home.
His wife and two children remained in China, and he had not returned to see them since leaving in 2017.
According to 7NEWS, Feng’s wife, Xu, 52, said he had planned to return home in another year or two, possibly when their son got married.
The couple had been married for nearly 30 years.
As the family’s main breadwinner, Feng supported his wife and children while also paying for his elderly father’s nursing home expenses.
His father had suffered a stroke and required ongoing care, costing the family between 4,000 and 5,000 yuan (about S$770 to S$960) a month.
Xu said her husband had worked hard to provide for the family and was looking forward to finally coming home.
“He was the main breadwinner in our family. Now that he’s gone, we don’t know what to do,” she told 7NEWS.
She revealed that she had spoken to her husband over a video call at about 1.50pm on the day he died, just hours before the fatal attack.
She had not imagined it would be their last conversation.
Nearly 1,000 gather to mourn delivery rider
Feng’s death drew an outpouring of grief from Melbourne’s Chinese community and fellow delivery riders.
According to Sin Chew Daily, residents organised a vigil and march in Melbourne’s city centre on Nov 7.
Some mourners described Feng as a familiar and hardworking presence in the area.
Tang, the owner of a restaurant where Feng frequently collected orders, told Sin Chew that Feng was a familiar face who worked long hours, even in bad weather.
The restaurant donated A$500 (about S$440) to Feng’s family.
Meanwhile, 9News reported that about 1,000 people gathered outside the State Library of Victoria for a candlelight vigil in his memory.
HungryPanda to cover funeral and travel expenses
According to ABC News, HungryPanda said on Nov 8 that it would cover the family’s travel expenses to Australia, funeral costs and other necessary arrangements.
The company also pledged additional financial support and said it was helping the family arrange visas for their trip.
HungryPanda was also trying to contact the injured rider to offer assistance and planned to meet delivery riders in Melbourne to discuss safety concerns.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Consulate-General in Melbourne said it had taken steps to assist Feng’s family and urged Australian authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident.
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll said his government would work with police and representatives of delivery workers to improve safety.
He acknowledged that gig economy workers were among those who needed greater workplace protection.
This article was written with the assistance of AI.
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