Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, one of the two Good Samaritans brutally slain Friday on a MAX train, is a former Ashland resident who graduated from Reed College.

His mother, Asha Deliverance, spoke of her son Saturday morning on her Facebook page.

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, My dear baby boy passed on yesterday while protecting two young Muslim girls from a... Posted by Asha Deliverance on Saturday, May 27, 2017

She wrote:

"Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, My dear baby boy passed on yesterday while protecting two young Muslim girls from a racist man on the train in Portland. He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever."

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche

His family released a statement Saturday afternoon:

Taliesin Myrddin lived a joyous and full life. His enthusiasm was infectious. We lost him in a senseless act that brought close to home the insidious rift of prejudice and intolerance that is too familiar, too common. He was resolute in his conduct (and) respect of all people. In his final act of bravery, he held true to what he believed is the way forward. He will live in our hearts forever as the just, brave, loving, hilarious and beautiful soul he was. We ask that in honor of his memory, we use this tragedy as an opportunity for reflection and change. We choose love. Safe journey Taliesin. We love you.

Namkai-Meche graduated from Reed in 2016 with an economics degree. He worked for the Cadmus Group, according to his Facebook page.

Namkai-Meche took an Introduction to Islam class at Reed in 2015, where he stood out to professor Kambiz GhaneaBassiri. The young man was always trying to understand the world from other peoples' perspectives, GhaneaBassiri said.

Namkai-Meche also stood out for being considerate of other students' participation in the seminars. If somebody wasn't confident about a comment they made, for example, he would say something to back them up, GhaneaBassiri said.

"He's just the kind of person, if he saw somebody being mistreated, he would have spoken up," GhaneaBassiri said.

Reed College communications director, Kevin Myers, said he used to play basketball with Namkai-Meche a couple times a week when Namkai-Meche was a student at the college.

"He really was just, just a selfless, selfless person," Myers said. "And clearly to act like this is evidence of that."

Myers last saw Meche at his graduation, Myers said.

Andrew Harlan, who lived across the street from Namkai-Meche in high school, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he and Namkai-Meche would sometimes go camping together. It was their outings in the rugged trails of Southern Oregon that cemented their relationship.

"Whenever you go backpacking with someone, you have to bond with them. You have to trust them," Harlan said. "As soon as you have that bond, it's almost like you're brothers for a time."

When the two graduated from high school, Namkai-Meche made his way north while Harlan stayed in Ashland. But the two kept in touch.

Whenever Harlan wanted to visit Portland, he knew he'd have a place to stay.

"Taliesin would just open his door and he was there for you," Harlan said.

Portland restaurateur Nick Zukin has organized an online fundraiser for the families of the stabbing victims. A spokeswoman for GoFundMe, the platform hosting the fundraiser, said the company is working with Zukin to ensure all funds go to the victims and their families.

Another GoFundMe campaign seeks to raise funds for the man critically injured in the stabbing attack. Its organizer, Carlos Espinoza, said the victim is a friend. The GoFundMe spokeswoman said that campaign is also authentic, and that the company will similarly work with Espinoza.

-- Allan Brettman

Fedor Zarkhin, Eder Campuzano and Elliot Njus contributed to this report.