As maddening as it is when hate crimes inspire dozens of high-profile headlines before turning out to be hoaxes, it’s sobering when there are fatalities to make it clear an incident was no hoax.
According to the Oregonian, two men were killed and one wounded in a stabbing on a Portland commuter train Friday after they confronted a man who was allegedly yelling racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim.
The latest: 2 killed in stabbing on MAX train as man directs slurs at women in head scarves, witness says https://t.co/uqSrOmSki9 pic.twitter.com/N09Mjpls3v
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) May 27, 2017
Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, was taken into custody on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder early Saturday morning, but the identities of those killed in the incident weren’t released until Saturday afternoon.
Jeremy Christian has been booked into a Multnomah County jail on suspicion of aggravated murder & attempted murder: https://t.co/uAfskcX3x0 pic.twitter.com/ygXX4amSyx
— Jim Ryan (@Jimryan015) May 27, 2017
BuzzFeed has compiled a number of Christian’s Facebook posts. He apparently was a passionate Bernie Sanders supporter who wished death upon Hillary Clinton and her supporters but just couldn’t bring himself to vote for Donald Trump.
Portland police ID Jeremy Joseph Christian as man who yelled hate speech and killed 2 men who tried to intervenehttps://t.co/nUjC4Jk9v4
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) May 27, 2017
A man with a string of violent felony convictions on his record. If Oregon had a 3 strikes law, this never would've happened. Work for one.
— Deep State Gypsy Skittle Party (@DeepStateGypsy) May 27, 2017
Here’s video by journalist Mike Bivins reportedly showing Christian doing his thing at a free speech rally in Portland in April; it doesn’t take Christian too much effort to be disowned by everyone around him. (Language warning.)
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Man engaging in hate speech and giving the Nazi salute at the end of the #Portland free speech march pic.twitter.com/8QRmmvTDAf
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) April 29, 2017
The two men, and the third who was injured, were hailed as heroes.
.@tedwheeler says 2 men who lost their lives defending others were heroes pic.twitter.com/jOGz9rwWYZ
— Maxine Bernstein (@maxoregonian) May 27, 2017
'Final act of bravery’: Men who were fatally stabbed trying to stop anti-Muslim rants identified https://t.co/Wqe8hCiBYy
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) May 27, 2017
These are the victims of the Portland train stabbing:
• Taliesin Namkai-Meche, 23
• Ricky Best, 53https://t.co/1vCrZ596Jc pic.twitter.com/MC1rL3B6i7— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) May 27, 2017
Ricky John Best, 53, and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, were killed, while 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche's friends: 'He's just the best person' https://t.co/3GHygAABvk pic.twitter.com/iUnXUT5J4N
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) May 27, 2017
Grieving mother & girlfriend of Taliesin Namkai-Meche, who was killed in Portland when he stood up to hate speech https://t.co/tQLgBqsqpo pic.twitter.com/95dlAnwzd7
— David Mack (@davidmackau) May 27, 2017
The second victim of the MAX slayings is Ricky Best, a City of Portland employee and 23-year-Army veteran. Story soon from @rachelamonahan. pic.twitter.com/FSeqnHVyES
— Aaron Mesh (@AaronMesh) May 27, 2017
A photo of Ricky Best. He had three teen sons and a twelve-year-old daughter. He was a Republican, and ran for county office in 2014. pic.twitter.com/aZndYQ4GVj
— Angus Johnston (@studentactivism) May 27, 2017
A republican vet & a liberal economist giving up their lives together to defend minorities from a racist:
THAT is making America great. RIP pic.twitter.com/nlBnY2o9MZ— Monkey's Gonna Eat This Turkey (@VitruvianMonkey) May 28, 2017
According to the Oregonian, the FBI in Portland hasn’t yet ruled the incident an act of domestic terror, but if it’s necessary to flesh out some narrative that has to be posted today, don’t let that stop you.
.@FBIPortland says it's too soon to call @trimet MAX attacks act of domestic terror.
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) May 27, 2017
White supremacists have killed more people in the past week than refugee terrorists from Trump travel ban countries…in the last 40 years pic.twitter.com/tSPy9wFwiV
— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) May 27, 2017
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