A tragic act of bravery has rocked San Francisco after a 28-year-old man was fatally stabbed on a subway platform while trying to protect strangers from an aggressive individual.
Colden Kimber, originally from upstate New York, was at the Ocean Avenue Muni station with his girlfriend on the afternoon of July 26 when chaos broke out. According to multiple local outlets, a man began harassing commuters—shouting at women and children waiting for the train. Kimber stepped in to shield them.
Moments later, he was stabbed in the neck.
Police arrived at the scene around 4:12 p.m. and found Kimber with a serious wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but did not survive. Authorities later arrested 29-year-old Sean Collins a short distance away. He was booked into San Francisco County Jail on a homicide charge.
Kimber’s heroic final moments have sparked an outpouring of grief and support across the community.
“It was so horrendous and shocking,” said Reuben Sawyer, a close friend of Kimber’s. “He’s the last person you’d ever expect something like this to happen to.”
Bradley Woehl, who owns the cycling shop where Kimber worked, described him as someone who “lived such an exemplary life” and left a lasting impression with “his good nature and his kind spirit.”
Collins’ defense attorney said his client’s parents are devastated by the incident. “It’s a nonsensical act,” the lawyer told KTVU. “Hopefully, he can get some treatment and some help. That’s my goal in this case.”
Collins is expected in court on August 14.
In the wake of the tragedy, Kimber’s family launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and support their travel across the country for the ongoing legal process. The campaign has raised nearly $86,000 of its $90,000 goal as of August 3.
“Colden unwillingly leaves behind a loving partner of seven years, his little sister just getting into road cycling, friends young and old, and entire cycling and hockey communities,” his family wrote. “There is no making sense of this and no words to convey the devastation we are feeling.”
The only treatment required is execution !