One man is in custody and two people who stood up for Muslim women being taunted with racial slurs are dead after a stabbing rampage on a rail train in Portland, Oregon, reports Oregon Live.
Witnesses say the victims tried to intervene when a man began screaming at two women who appeared Muslim. One was wearing a hijab.
“These were folks just riding the train and unfortunately got caught up in this,” said police spokesperson Sgt. Pete Simpson who described the suspect as using “hate speech and bias language.”
A third man who also tried to intervene was also stabbed, but his injuries are not considered to be life-threatening.
“[The suspect] was just cursing, cursing, cursing, and so the passengers were getting nervous so the girls moved to our area,” said Arsenia Brittell to KGW. “He was saying something about America, this a free country, I can do whatever I want and other people said calm down.”
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The two women the men were defending ran from the scene and have not yet talked to police.
Memorial at Hollywood Transit Center. Police say man stabbed, killed 2 ppl on MAX after bullying Muslim women. https://t.co/pQF0x793mp pic.twitter.com/X3fJvZFtyv
— Katherine Cook (@KCookKGW) May 27, 2017
Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted murder, but police have not confirmed he was booked in connection with this incident.
This happened on the same day another racial confrontation involving a Muslim woman occurred in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
An Indian American college student who asked that his name not be used says the woman was sitting at a Starbucks located inside a Barnes and Noble. He says a White man approached a woman in a hijab and began yelling how others in her faith want to kill everyone and is awful.
This man fortunately walked away without further confrontation after the Indian American student told him to stop.The student described the woman victim as shaken, but calm and “incredibly brave.”
“I am in awe of the woman’s courage and realize that it’s people like her who make this country great.”
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