Updated May 30, 7:00 p.m.: At an arraignment on May 30, Jeremy Joseph Christian entered an Oregon courtroom yelling, "Free speech or die!" as one of his victims, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, sat with police and investigators in the front row. The Oregonian reported that Christian faces nine counts of including two counts of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, two counts of intimidation and three counts of unlawful use of a weapon. A probable cause affidavit filed after the hearing offers more details on his gruesome train attack days prior.
Previously:
Two men in Portland, Oregon were killed on May 26 after defending "two young girls," one of whom was reportedly in hijab, from a white man who was intimidating them with hate speech on a train, according to local police.
The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) said Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, "was on the MAX train yelling various remarks that would be best characterized as hate speech toward a variety of ethnicities and religions. At least two of the victims attempted to intervene with the suspect and calm him down. The suspect attacked the men, stabbing three, before leaving the train."
"Witnesses described to police two young women, possibly Muslim, who were on the train at the time of the disturbance and attack," the statement said. "One was described as wearing a hijab," and both remain unknown to Portland police, who have asked that they, and any other witnesses, come forward.
One of the victims has been identified as Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, a 23-year-old Reed College graduate. The other man who died in the stabbing has been identified as 53-year-old Ricky John Best, an Army veteran and father of four. The victim who was injured but survived is 21-year-old poet Micah David-Cole Fletcher, who is expected to recover.
Sgt. Pete Simpson gave press conference after the attack and said Christian focused in on the young women, who were later revealed to be ages 16 and 17. The bystanders tried to intervene when Christian confronted the teens, according to The Oregonian. “As something like this happens, this only instills fear in that community," he said. "We have already reached out previous to this incident to our Muslim community partners and the different imams about extra patrol during Ramadan. We want to reassure them that that will continue.”
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Christian was detained and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on May 27, and is being held on two counts of aggravated murder, an attempted murder charge, possession of a restricted weapon charge, and intimidation (hate crime) charges.
He has since been identified as a "known white supremacist" by Portland Mercury news reporter Doug Brown. In a series of videos published on the site from an April 29 "March for Free Speech" in Portland, Christian identifies himself by name on camera ("My name's Jeremy Christian, on Facebook," he said) and is seen yelling racist slurs, giving the Nazi salute, and swinging a bat at protesters. (Note that the videos published on Portland Mercury include graphic, violent language.)
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Authorities have yet to comment on Brown's findings. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, also reported that Christian has frequently promoted white nationalist ideas online and praised terrorist Timothy McVeigh.
Related: White Male Terrorists Are an Issue We Should Discuss
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