N.Y.C. Woman Killed by Times Square Subway Spent Last Decade Helping City's Underserved Populations

Michelle Go, who was killed Saturday when a homeless man allegedly pushed her in front of an oncoming train, volunteered for an organization that aimed to empower at-risk New Yorkers

Photo: linkedIn

A 40-year-old woman who was pushed in front of a New York City subway on Saturday morning is being remembered for her volunteer work to uplift underserved communities.

Michelle Go, who lived on the Upper West Side, was a senior manager at Deloitte Consulting by day — but it's her work with the New York Junior League that exemplified her character.

NYJL is a women-run nonprofit in N.Y.C. that works with a network of community partners to support the health and well-being of under-resourced and at-risk populations.

According to NYJL, Go volunteered at the organization for the past decade, serving on two different committees: one which focused on preventative health education and one that helped adults achieve independent financial and professional success.

"The New York Junior League (NYJL) is greatly saddened to learn of the death of Michelle Go under such senseless and tragic circumstances," NYJL president Dayna Barlow Cassidy tells PEOPLE in a statement.

According to Cassidy, her focus populations with the organization included seniors, immigrants and recovering homeless people.

Go was killed around 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the Times Square subway station, when a homeless man allegedly pushed her onto the tracks in front of an oncoming R train, NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a news conference.

Simon Martial, 61, was arrested and charged Saturday shortly after the incident, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE.

Go was found "unconscious and unresponsive" on the train tracks when officers arrived, per the NYPD statement obtained by PEOPLE. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Simon turned himself in to transit police a short time after allegedly committing the crime, Sewell said. Assistant Chief Jason Wilcox said Simon had "three emotionally disturbed encounters" in the past documented by the NYPD.

Police believe the incident was "unprovoked" and that the victim did not appear to have interacted with the suspect prior to her death, Sewell added.

"This was a senseless — absolutely senseless — act of violence," Sewell said at the news conference. "Our investigators are actively investigating this crime and our uniformed officers will remain vigilant throughout the subway system."

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"Michelle will be missed by many friends," Cassidy says.

In response to her death, "[NYJL calls] upon the city's leadership to urgently address the lack of mental health and other supports for underserved communities."

"We want to continue to highlight how imperative it is that people receive the right mental health services, particularly on our subway system," Eric Adams, the newly elected N.Y.C. mayor, said. "To lose a New Yorker in this fashion will only continue to elevate the fears of individuals not using our subway system."