Davis remembers stabbing victim Karim Abou Najm: "May the trees whisper his name and his birds sing his glory"
DAVIS -- Family and friends of UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm gathered in Sycamore Park in Davis to dedicate a bike pathway and bench in his honor.
Karim's parents stood in the center of the love brought to Sycamore Park Monday, a year to the day of the deadly stabbing.
The newly named bike pathway and memorial bench turned what was once a crime scene into a place of remembrance.
In memory of Karim Abou Najm, a bench unveiled in Sycamore Park.
— Madisen Keavy (@madisenkeavy) April 30, 2024
His Mother tells us his name means, “Father of Stars” a beautiful tribute. @CBSSacramento pic.twitter.com/ExHOgb481E
"A reminder, while my son's blood was here, I want the life of Karim to be remembered and carried forward," said Nadine Yehya, Karim's mother.
Karim was the second stabbing victim that put Davis on edge for days just a year ago. The first victim was David Breaux, known around Davis as "the Compassion Guy."
Karim was killed in Sycamore Park while riding his bike home.
The third victim, Kimberlee Guillory, survived the brutal attack.
A former UC Davis student has been charged in all three stabbings. The next steps in court: his trial.
The bench and the pathway naming are not the only two memorials that will stand in Sycamore Park. An art installation is in the works – and his parents say, it will represent how Karim lived.
"May the trees whisper his name and his birds sing his glory … may the stars shine his light and the hearts get his story," said Majdi Abou Najm, Karim's father.
Karim's father put the date into perspective: A year without his son is like starting over.
"I'm a one-year-old grown-up. Whatever that means," Majdi Abou Najm said. "To me, April 29 is not a space-time anomaly that will fade in another year or two when normal wins and life goes on. To me, April 29 should be a new start."
In the last year, the family started three scholarships at UC Davis in Karim's memory. The scholarships are centered on innovation, creativity, and collaboration.
His family says they have plans to do even more.