In a shocking incident on a MAX train in Northeast Portland, court documents reveal that a 51-year-old man, Shondel Lamar Larkin, is accused of fatally stabbing Michael Matthew Brady without any apparent provocation. Larkin, who has been diagnosed with a mental illness and disclosed he had ceased taking his medications, believed he heard voices indicating a threat to his life, which led to the tragic assault.
The altercation occurred on a Friday evening, with surveillance footage and witness accounts indicating no prior interaction between Larkin and Brady before the sudden attack. According to witnesses, Larkin exclaimed, “You said you were going to kill me!” shortly after the stabbing, suggesting he perceived a threat from Brady, who was simply sitting across the aisle.
The affidavit details the harrowing scene as Brady, unarmed, attempted to defend himself before collapsing onto the platform when the train doors opened at the 82nd Avenue station. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by the first responders, Brady succumbed to his injuries.
Upon police arrival, Larkin was found on the train, visibly stained with blood and in possession of a knife, which he surrendered. He later told police he had “blanked out” before the stabbing. Larkin, who has a history of legal issues and was previously involved in a peeping incident in Culver City, Calif., has been charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. Court records indicate he was homeless at the time of the attack.
This incident adds to a series of violent events on TriMet buses and trains in recent years, including the notable case of Jeremy Christian, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for a deadly stabbing attack in May 2017. Despite these incidents, official reports show a significant decline in assault reports on TriMet’s network, dropping from about 250 in 2021 to roughly 100 in 2023 across Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties.
The MAX train homicide underscores ongoing concerns regarding safety on public transit and the broader issue of mental health care accessibility and support, particularly for individuals within the community experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges.