PORTLAND, Ore. -- Two men were stabbed and killed in Portland on Friday after they tried to intervene while a man shouted racial slurs at two women, one of whom was wearing a hijab, police said.

Police on Saturday identified the victims as 53-year-old Ricky John Best and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche. Best died at the scene, and Meche died at a hospital, police said. Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, of Portland was also stabbed in the attack and is in serious condition at a Portland hospital, police said. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, police said.

In a press conference Saturday, Mayor Ted Wheeler said the victims were heroes, CBS affiliate KOIN reports.

"They were attacked because they did the right thing," Wheeler said. "Their actions were brave and selfless and should serve as an example and inspiration to us all. They are heroes."

Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, has been charged with aggravated murder, attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a weapon. He was arrested a short time after the attack on Friday.

Taliesin Namkai-Meche, 23

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche KOIN-TV/Facebook

Namkai-Meche's mother, Asha Deliverance, mourned her son in a Facebook post. "My dear baby boy passed on yesterday while protecting two young Muslim girls from a racist man on the train in Portland. He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil. Shining bright star I love you forever," the post read.

Namkai-Meche lived in Portland and was a recent graduate of Reed College who studied economics. The university's president, John R. Kroger, issued a statement Saturday, calling him a "beloved young man."

"As we mourn together and seek ways to honor Taliesin's life, we will provide information about any memorials as it becomes available," the statement read. "Our deepest sympathies go out to Taliesin's family and friends, the other brave victims, and their friends and family."

The president quoted Professor Kambiz GhaneaBassiri who described Namkai-Meche as an "extraordinary person."

"I still remember where he sat in conference and the types of probing, intelligent questions I could anticipate him asking. He was thoughtful, humble, smart, inquisitive, and compassionate. He was a wonderful human being. As good as they come. And now he is a hero to me," the statement read.

Taliesin Namkai-Meche Facebook

Ricky John Best, 53

Best lived in Happy Valley and worked for the city of Portland, CBS affiliate KOIN-TV reports.

Best was a father of four, worked as a technician for the city's Bureau of Development Services, and was an U.S. army veteran who served 23 years in the military, the Oregonian newspaper reports.

He had three teenage sons and a 12-year-old daughter, David Austin, a spokesman for Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, told the newspaper.

Both men are being hailed as heroes. Harris Zafar with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Portland said he was inspired by the actions of these men.

"Knowing that innocent people who were complete strangers stood up to defend these terrified two teenage girls," Zafar told KOIN-TV. "They had nothing to gain out of it but they stood up to help them and to do what was right. That level of honor and valor and courage, we don't see."</s>Two men were stabbed to death Friday on a light-rail train in Portland, Oregon, after they tried to intervene as a man yelled hate speech at two women who appeared to be Muslim, police said.

A third passenger who tried to intervene was also stabbed but is expected to survive.

The male suspect, who ran off the train, was arrested a short time later on foot near Providence Hospital, police said in a statement. He was not immediately identified.

Shortly before 5 p.m., the suspect was ranting about a number of things on the MAX train near the Hollywood transit station before using what would be "characterized as hate speech or biased language" and focusing on "two young girls," one of whom was wearing hijab, Portland police Sgt. Pete Simpson told reporters at a briefing posted by The Oregonian.

That's when the three men tried to intervene and were "attacked viciously" by the suspect, Simpson said. One of them died at the scene, another succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

None of the victims' identities were released Friday night.

The girls who were verbally attacked left the scene of the stabbing before police arrived and are being sought as witnesses, Simpson said.

He stressed that the investigation was still in its preliminary stages and it was unclear if the suspect has mental health issues, was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, "or all of the above."

"It’s horrific," Simpson added. "There’s no other word to describe what happened today."</s>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Latest on a stabbing on a Portland, Oregon, train that left two dead (all times local):

Authorities have identified two men fatally stabbed on a Portland light-rail train in Oregon.

Police on Saturday said 53-year-old Ricky John Best of Happy Valley, Oregon, died at the scene on Friday and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche of Portland died at a hospital.

Police say 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher 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 say the stabbing occurred after a man yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim, one of whom was wearing a hijab, and other men attempted to intervene.

Police on Friday arrested 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland. He is being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder.

The 35-year-old Oregon man identified by authorities in the fatal stabbing of two people on a Portland light-rail train has a criminal record that includes stints in prison.

Court records located by The Associated Press on Saturday show that Jeremy Joseph Christian was convicted of robbery, kidnapping and a weapons charge in 2002.

Christian is being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder.

Police say two people died Friday and another was hurt in the stabbing after a man yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

Police say that before the stabbing the assailant on the train was ranting on many topics, using “hate speech or biased language.”

One person was dead at the scene and another died at a hospital. The third person was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities on Saturday identified a 35-year-old Portland man as the suspect in the fatal stabbing of two people on a Portland light-rail train in Oregon.

Jeremy Joseph Christian is being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder.

Police say two people died Friday and another was hurt in the stabbing after a man yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

Police say that before the stabbing the assailant on the train was ranting on many topics, using “hate speech or biased language.”

One person was dead at the scene and another died at a hospital. The third person was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.</s>Two men were fatally stabbed on a crowded Portland, Oregon, commuter train Friday after they confronted a passenger who was "yelling a gamut of anti-Muslim and anti-everything slurs," a Portland police spokesman said.

"It is unclear if he was directing (slurs) at specific people but witnesses told us he may have been targeting two girls described as Muslim, one wearing a hijab," Portland police Sgt. Pete Simpson told CNN. "We have not been able to find those girls to verify that."

A suspect was in custody and was at a hospital being treated for injuries, according to Simpson.

"This is at the early stages of the investigation. We do not know if the suspect was drunk, on medication, had mental issues or anything else," Simpson said.

The stabbing occurred on a Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) light-rail train, Portland police said.

Witnesses said one of the victims was stabbed in the neck, CNN affiliate KOIN reported. Portland police said one man was found suffering from traumatic injuries and first responders attempted to save his life, but he died at the scene. The second victim, also stabbed, died at a hospital, KOIN said. A third passenger who also tried to intervene with the shouting man was injured, police said.</s>Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, of North Portland, Oregon is pictured in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters May 27, 2017. Portland Police Bureau/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) - A man fatally stabbed two passengers aboard a Portland, Oregon, commuter train after they tried to stop him from harassing two young women who appeared to be Muslim, police said on Saturday.

Police identified the assailant, who was arrested soon after the Friday afternoon attack, as Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland, a 35-year-old convicted felon.

A senior researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center, in a blog post, said Christian's Facebook page showed he held "some racist and other extremist beliefs."

The attack unfolded hours before the start of Ramadan, Islam's holy month, when most of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims observe a daily religious fast.

"It's too early to say whether last night's violence was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime," Loren Cannon, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Oregon told a news conference on Saturday, adding the bureau had joined the investigation.

Christian started shouting ethnic and religious slurs, apparently at the two young women, one of whom wore a Muslim head-covering, the Portland Police Department said in a statement.

Three men who intervened were stabbed. Ricky John Best, 53, of Happy Valley, Oregon died at the scene, while Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, of Southeast Portland died at a hospital, police said. A third victim, Micah David-Cole Fletcher of 21, Southeast Portland, remained in a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Christian was booked on two counts of aggravated murder and charges of attempted murder, intimidation and being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon, and was ordered held without bail. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.

The women, who had left the train before officers arrived, were later in contact with authorities, according to police, who have not released their identities.

Dyjuana Hudson, the mother of one of them, told The Oregonian newspaper her 16-year-old daughter, who is black, boarded the train with a Muslim friend, also a teenager, who was wearing a hijab.

The attacker approached the girls while screaming at them, Hudson told the newspaper, relaying an account her daughter had given her. "He was saying that Muslims should die," Hudson said.

On Friday, police said detectives wanted to speak to the two women. A detective later took a statement from her family, Hudson told the paper. She could not be reached for comment.

Police declined to release details of Christian's criminal history, but the newspaper reported he had been convicted of robbery, kidnapping and weapon charges, citing court records. It was not immediately clear if he had obtained an attorney.

The suspect had no known affiliation with a criminal gang member nor any mental health history, police said.

In a statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations blamed an increase in anti-Muslim incidents in part on President Donald Trump's focus on militant Islamist groups and anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The administration has said that while it strongly opposes Islamist militants, it has no quarrel with Islam.

A Facebook page that appears to belong to Christian mentions "Jihadi Muslims" among people he disliked. The image on the page matches a photo of Christian released by police.

"There is too much hatred in the world right now and far too much violence. Our current political climate allows far too much room for those who spread bigotry," Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told a news conference.</s>PORTLAND, Ore. — The mayor of Portland, Oregon, says the two men who were fatally stabbed when they intervened as a man yelled racial slurs at two young women on a light-rail train who appeared to be Muslim “died heroes.”

Speaking at a Saturday afternoon news conference, Mayor Ted Wheeler said “their actions were brave and selfless and should serve as an example, an inspiration to us all.”

Police on Friday arrested 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland. He is being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder.

Authorities say the stabbing occurred after a man yelled racial slurs at two young women, one of whom was wearing a hijab, and other men attempted to intervene.

Police said 53-year-old Ricky John Best of Happy Valley, Oregon, died at the scene on Friday, and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche of Portland died at a hospital.

Police said 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher of Portland was also stabbed in the attack and is in serious condition at a Portland hospital.

Wheeler said Best was an Army veteran and a city employee.</s>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Latest on a stabbing on a Portland, Oregon, train that left two dead (all times local):

The FBI and U.S. Attorney for Oregon are working with police in Portland to investigate the fatal stabbing of two men on a light-rail train who authorities say intervened when another man yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared Muslim.

The FBI says it’s too early to say whether the slayings Friday qualify as a federal hate crime but U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams said “there’s a day of reckoning coming, a day of accountability.”

Police on Friday arrested 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland. He is being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder.

Authorities say the stabbing occurred after a man yelled racial slurs at two young women, one of whom was wearing a hijab, and other men attempted to intervene.

Wheeler said, “Violent words can lead to violent acts.”

The mayor of Portland, Oregon, says the two men who were fatally stabbed when they intervened as a man yelled racial slurs at two young women on a light-rail train who appeared to be Muslim “died heroes.”

Speaking at a Saturday afternoon news conference, Mayor Ted Wheeler said “their actions were brave and selfless and should serve as an example, an inspiration to us all.”

Police on Friday arrested 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland. He is being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder.

Authorities say the stabbing occurred after a man yelled racial slurs at two young women, one of whom was wearing a hijab, and other men attempted to intervene.

Police said 53-year-old Ricky John Best of Happy Valley, Oregon, died at the scene on Friday, and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche of Portland died at a hospital.

Police said 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher of Portland was also stabbed in the attack and is in serious condition at a Portland hospital.

Wheeler said Best was an Army veteran and a city employee.

Police say they’ll examine what appears to be the extremist ideology of a man suspected of fatally stabbing two other men on an Oregon train after they apparently attempted to intervene when the man yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim.

Police in a statement Saturday also say 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian of Portland doesn’t have any known mental health history listed and he’s not flagged as a criminal gang member.

Police arrested Christian on Friday following the stabbing. He’s being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Police have also identified the two young women on the train, one of whom was wearing a hijab at the time of the stabbing. Their names haven’t been released.

Authorities have identified two men fatally stabbed on a Portland light-rail train in Oregon.

Police on Saturday said 53-year-old Ricky John Best of Happy Valley, Oregon, died at the scene on Friday and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche of Portland died at a hospital.

Police say 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher 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.

The 35-year-old Oregon man identified by authorities in the fatal stabbing of two people on a Portland light-rail train has a criminal record that includes stints in prison.

Court records located by The Associated Press on Saturday show that Jeremy Joseph Christian was convicted of robbery, kidnapping and a weapons charge in 2002.

Christian is being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder.

Police say two people died Friday and another was hurt in the stabbing after a man yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

Police say that before the stabbing the assailant on the train was ranting on many topics, using “hate speech or biased language.”

One person was dead at the scene and another died at a hospital. The third person was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities on Saturday identified a 35-year-old Portland man as the suspect in the fatal stabbing of two people on a Portland light-rail train in Oregon.

Jeremy Joseph Christian is being held in the Multnomah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder.

Police say two people died Friday and another was hurt in the stabbing after a man yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

Police say that before the stabbing the assailant on the train was ranting on many topics, using “hate speech or biased language.”

One person was dead at the scene and another died at a hospital. The third person was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.</s>Two men were fatally stabbed Friday on a crowded commuter train in Portland, Oregon, when they confronted a passenger who was “yelling a gamut of anti-Muslim and anti-everything slurs,” a police spokesman said.

The suspect may have been targeting two girls who were described as Muslim. One of them was wearing a hijab, Portland police Sgt. Pete Simpson told CNN.

“We have not been able to find those girls to verify that,” Simpson said.

Police are considering the man’s remarks as hate speech, the department said in a statement.

The stabbing occurred on a Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) light-rail train, Portland police said.

One man suffered injuries and first responders attempted to save his life, but he died at the scene. A second victim, also stabbed, died at a hospital, police said.

Witnesses said one of the victims was stabbed in the neck, CNN affiliate KOIN reported.

A third passenger, who also tried to intervene with the shouting man, was injured but is expected to survive, police said.

The victims didn’t know the suspect and were trying to protect other passengers in the train, police said.

Police say it’s unclear what might have led to the confrontation.

“We do not know if the suspect was drunk, on medication, had mental issues or anything else,” Simpson said.

The stabbings happened as the start of Ramadan, a Muslim holy month-long period of fasting, approached at sunset.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on President Donald Trump to denounce “against rising bigotry” and acts of violence against Muslims following the stabbings.

“President Trump must speak out personally against the rising tide of Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry and racism in our nation that he has provoked through his numerous statements, policies and appointments that have negatively impacted minority communities,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley took to Twitter to talk about the stabbings.

“Terrible tragedy on Portland’s Max Train. Champions of justice risked and lost their lives. Hate is evil,” he wrote.</s>Police say they'll examine what appears to be the extremist ideology of an Oregon man suspected of fatally stabbing two men who tried to intervene when the suspect yelled racial slurs at two young women who appeared to be Muslim on a Portland light-rail train.

Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, was being held today in the Multnomah County 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 yesterday

Police have identified the victims as 53-year-old Ricky John Best of Happy Valley, Oregon, and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche of Portland. Best died at the scene, and Meche died at a hospital, police said.

Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, of Portland was also stabbed in the attack and is in serious condition at a Portland hospital, police said. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, police said.

Police have also identified the two young women on the train, one of whom was wearing a hijab at the time of the stabbing.

The assailant on the train was ranting on many topics, using "hate speech or biased language," according to a statement from police.

Friday was the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims, and the attack prompted soul-searching in Portland, a city that prides itself on its tolerance and liberal

Dyjuana Hudson, a mother of one of the girls, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that 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.

"He was saying that Muslims should die," Hudson said. "That they've been killing Christians for years."

The attack happened on a MAX train as it headed east. A train remained stopped on the tracks at a transit centre that was closed while police investigated.

Police say the victims were trying to stop Christian from confronting the girls.

"In the midst of his ranting and raving, some people approached him and appeared to try to intervene with his behavior and some of the people that he was yelling at," police Sgt. Pete Simpson told the Portland newspaper.</s>Two men were fatally stabbed Friday on a train car in Portland, Oregon when they tried to intervene as a fellow passenger screamed anti-Muslim insults at two women, the authorities said.

The victims were attacked when they tried to calm the man, who was ranting and talking disparagingly about the women, one of whom was wearing a hijab, the police said.

“It’s horrific; there are no other words to describe what happened today,” Sgt. Pete Simpson, a spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau, said at a news conference.

One of the victims died in the train car, and the other at a hospital, the police said. A third man who was stabbed was being treated at a hospital. He was expected to recover.

“He said, ‘Get off the bus, and get out of the country because you don’t pay taxes here,’” Ms. Hernandez told KATU-TV.

When the two men tried to intervene, he pulled out a knife and slashed them, according to Ms. Hernandez and the police. The two women were not injured and left the station before the police could talk to them, Sergeant Simpson said.

The attacker fled the train car but was soon arrested, the police said. His name was not released.

“We don’t know if he’s got mental health issues,” Sergeant Simpson said. “We don’t know if he’s under the influence of drugs or alcohol or all of the above.”

Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar, began on Friday evening.
Two men are stabbed to death in a train in Portland, Oregon, after they attempt to intervene while a man shouts racial slurs at two teenage girls, one of them wearing a hijab.