June 13, 2025

Extremism in Oregon - Jon Bair today

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

Become a Sponsor

1 of 8
Jon Bair’s prison ID card. Bair turned himself in days after a shooting in 1993 that left one man dead, and months later pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon in the shooting of Erik Banks.
*Courtesy of Jon Bair / OPB*

2 of 8
Jon Bair, 1995, left, during his incarceration at Powder River Correctional Facility in Baker City, Oregon. Bair says that at that time he was on work crews and a firefighter.
*Courtesy of Jon Bair*

3 of 8
Bair, at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Ore., last month, where he and his friends used to hang out often.
*Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB*

4 of 8
Bair, at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Ore. Portland’s skinhead wars began in the 1980s and frequently spilled into public places, including Pioneer Courthouse Square, often called the city’s living room.
*Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB*

5 of 8
Bair, wearing his Doc Martens at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Ore.
*Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB*

6 of 8
Jon Bair, left, with Jay Nevilles, a founding member of Minneapolis Baldies, at a 35-year Baldies reunion in 2021 in Minnesota.
*Courtesy of Jon Bair*

7 of 8
Jon Bair, left, in a group photo of the 35-year Baldies reunion in Minneapolis, Minn., in 2021.
*Courtesy of Jon Bair*

8 of 8
Jon Bair served time for the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Erik Banks, during a 1993 clash between a group of antiracist skinheads and their rivals, racist skinheads. Bair, now 50, was deep into the anti-racist skinhead scene and and is a rare case of a left-wing extremist killing a right-wing extremist.
*Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB*

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

Become a Sponsor

📨 Daily news in your inbox

Sign up today for OPB’s “First Look” – your daily guide to the most important news and culture stories from around the Northwest.

Email

Please leave this field blank

Ensure OPB thrives in 2025! Join as a new member with your Sustaining support now!

Manage My Membership

Streaming Now

Think Out Loud

Switch Stream:

We value your privacy

This site uses cookies and related technologies, as described in our privacy policy, for purposes that may include site operation, analytics, enhanced user experience, or advertising. You may choose to consent to our use of these technologies, or manage your own preferences.

Privacy Policy

Powered by: