…Researched and contributed by Judah Olanisebee.
Paramedic Stabbed to Death in McDonald’s Carpark Days Before Welcoming a New Child
Steven Tougher, a 29-year-old NSW Ambulance paramedic, was brutally stabbed in the abdomen while on his morning coffee run at McDonald’s.
He had pulled into the carpark alongside a colleague before the end of their night shift early Friday morning.
The victim was days from welcoming a new child as his wife Madison was due to give birth within weeks.
Tougher’s tragic death came just five weeks after he married Madison in mid-March.
A GoFundMe has been created to support Madison and their family, which has raised more than $51,000 within four hours.
The fundraiser extends the deepest condolences to Madison and her young family and hopes that the funds raised through this platform can go to support her and her family during this extremely difficult time.
Tougher had only become a paramedic last year and was completing paperwork when he was brutally attacked.
His death has caused a massive outpouring of grief from the healthcare community who say selfless workers shouldn’t have to risk their safety for while on the job.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also expressed his sympathies for Tougher’s family and called for paramedics to be treated with more respect.
Police reportedly arrived within minutes of receiving the emergency call on Friday and Tougher was rushed to Liverpool Hospital where he later died.
NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan met with Madison in the hours after the attack as well as Tougher’s mother, father, and sister and said they are ‘beside themselves’.
The Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said that a 21-year-old man was tasered and arrested at the scene following the attack and taken to Campbelltown Police Station.
He is yet to be charged but remains in custody.
This tragedy is another reminder of the dangers that frontline workers face on the job.
The loss of a young paramedic who had his whole life ahead of him is heartbreaking, and the outpouring of support from the community shows how much he was valued.
The investigation is ongoing, and we hope that justice will be served for Steven Tougher and his family.