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The brother of Jeremy Christian, who is serving life in prison for murdering two people and seriously injuring another on a crowded MAX train in 2017, is suspected in a Feb. 16 North Portland homicide, WW has learned.
“I can confirm that the name of the individual involved in the Feb. 16 shooting is David Christian,” said Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Elisabeth Shepard. “This case is an open investigation, and we are unable to provide further comment at this time.”
On Monday, the Portland Police Bureau identified the victim of the Feb. 16 shooting as 30-year-old Zachary Steven Moore. Police have not yet released the suspected shooter’s name. The bureau said in a press release last week that, at 12:20 am on Feb. 16, officers responded to a shooting call in the St. Johns neighborhood near the intersection of North Mohawk Avenue and Fessenden Street.
“When officers arrived they located a male victim who was deceased,” PPB said. “A person involved in the shooting remained at the scene and is cooperating.”
David Christian is not in custody, and it does not appear as though police consider him dangerous: “At this time, police are not looking for any suspects and there is no threat to the community,” PPB said in its press release.
WW learned of David Christian’s suspected role in the Feb. 16 shooting as Portland reeled from another politically charged killing with echoes of the 2017 MAX stabbings. On Feb. 19, prosecutors allege, a man named Benjamin Smith confronted a group of protesters at Normandale Park, then opened fire, killing 60-year-old June Knightly and injuring four others.
The DA’s office did not confirm that David Christian, 47, is related to Jeremy Christian, now 39. But public records indicate that the two are indeed siblings.
Separate court records from 2017 for Jeremy Christian and David Christian, whose name also appears as Jonathan David Christian, list the same North Portland residential address. Court records for David Christian dating back to 2005 also list that address.
A recognizance release from 2017 for David Christian says his mother is Mary Christian. Multiple news articles about Jeremy Christian identify his mother as Mary. And Multnomah County property records show that Mary Christian and Donald Christian are the homeowners of the property that Jeremy and David listed as their residence in court records.
A November 2017 psychiatric evaluation report for Jeremy Christian says he is “the third of four sons born to the marriage of his parents.”
“He has been variously residing in his parents’ home or staying with friends when not in custody since his release from the Oregon Department of Corrections in 2010,” the evaluation says. “His brothers also reside in the family home or with extended family.”
David Christian could not immediately be reached for comment.