Stabbings suspect ranted about Muslims
Police said Saturday they’ll examine what appears to be the extremist ideology of an Oregon man accused of fatally stabbing two men who tried to intervene when the suspect yelled racial slurs at two young women on a Portland light-rail train.
The attack late Friday happened on the first day of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims, and it sent shock waves through a city that prides itself on its tolerance and liberal views.
“That people feel emboldened to come out and show their racism and bigotry in that way is horrifying to me. It’s a gut check for everywhere — and absolutely for Portland,” said Christopher Douglas. “Portland ... floats in a little bit of a bubble of its own liberal comfort and I think the reality is sinking in.”
Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, was held in jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a weapon. He was arrested a short time after the attack.
Police identified the victims as Ricky John Best, 53, of Happy Valley, Oregon, and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, of Portland. Police say Best died at the scene and that Meche died at a hospital.
Meche’s mother, Asha Deliverance of Ashland, Oregon, confirmed on Facebook that her son had been killed.
“He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever,” she wrote.
Police say Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, of Portland was also stabbed in the attack and is in serious condition at a Portland hospital. Police say his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Police have also identified the two young women on the train, one of whom was wearing a hijab at the time of the stabbing, but have not released their names.
The assailant on the train was ranting on many topics, using “hate speech or biased language,” police Sgt. Pete Simpson said.
Dyjuana Hudson, a mother of one of the girls, told The Oregonian/ OregonLive the man began a racial tirade as soon as he spotted the girls. Her daughter is African-American and was with a friend who was wearing a hijab, she said.