Two killed in Portland after trying to stop anti-Muslim rant

Two men were stabbed to death and one injured on a light-rail train in Portland, Ore., after they tried to intervene when another passenger began "ranting and raving" and shouting anti-Muslim hate speech at two young women.

The Portland Police on Saturday identified the two slain victims as 53-year-old Ricky John Best and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, reports the Washington Post.

A third victim, 21-year-old Micah David-Cole Fletcher, is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The police said that according to witnesses, a white male passenger riding an eastbound MAX train early Friday afternoon began yelling what "would best be characterized as hate speech toward a variety of ethnicities and religions."

According to the police, some of the slurs were directed at two female passengers, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

The police identified the suspect early Saturday morning as 35-year-old Jeremy Joseph Christian, of north Portland.

Christian is being held without bail on two counts of aggravated murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of intimidation in the second degree and one count of possession of a restricted weapon as a felon.