The FBI joined the investigation into the killing of two men in Portland, Ore., Friday who tried to intervene as the suspect screamed anti-Muslim slurs at women on a commuter train.
CNN reported Sunday the FBI is a part of the law enforcement contingent investigating the double homicide. Renn Cannon, the special agent in charge of the Portland office of the FBI told reporters Saturday “it’s too early to say” if the crime was a hate crime.
Jeremy Joseph Christian was arrested Saturday for allegedly stabbing and killing Ricky John Best, 53, and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, 23, and injuring another man.
Christian was reportedly screaming at two women in a commuter train, one of whom was wearing a hijab and both were Muslim. The three men attempted to calm Christian down to get him to stop harassing the women when the incident turned violent, according to reports.
According to police, Christian inflicted wounds on the two men that killed Best at the Scene and Namkai-Meche at a hospital later. A third man, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, is expected to survive but suffered severe wounds.
According to CNN, Christian faces two counts of aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder. He also was charged with two counts of second-degree intimidation and a count of being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon, both misdemeanors.
He has previous felony convictions — for robbery and kidnapping — from 2002.
He’s held at Multnomah County Jail without bail. He’s scheduled to be formally charged on Tuesday.
