Three soldiers have been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a fellow soldier who was celebrating his pending departure from the Army -- an attack that police in Washington state now say does n't appear to be racially motivated . Jeremiah Hill , 23 ; Cedarium Johnson , 21 ; and Ajoni Runnion-Bareford , 21 , were arrested on charges of murder in the death Saturday of Army Spc . Tevin Geike , police said Monday . All four were assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord , not far from the Lakewood sidewalk where police say Geike was accosted as he walked with two friends and fellow soldiers early Saturday . Police initially said they were investigating the death as a possible hate crime after witnesses said a black assailant directed a racial comment toward Geike , who was white , and his white friends shortly before the stabbings . But interviews with all involved now lead investigators to believe that race was not a motivating factor , Lakewood police said Monday , without elaborating . Geike , 20 , of Summerville , South Carolina , was walking along a Lakewood street with two fellow soldiers after 2 a.m. Saturday when a car carrying five black men passed , with one of the occupants yelling a comment about the three being white , police initially said . One of Geike 's companions , Brian Johnson , told CNN affiliate KIRO that someone in the car yelled `` something like 'white ' and 'cracker . ' `` The other friend , Matthew Barnes , told KIRO that he yelled back : `` So this is how we treat combat veterans now ? '' The vehicle turned around and stopped , and five black men got out , police said . The groups exchanged words , but the five began retreating once they realized they were all soldiers , police said . But Hill stabbed Geike -- and cut himself in the process -- before they left , authorities said , citing one of Hill 's companions who police said they interviewed . Barnes said Geike died in his arms . `` I 'm sitting here holding him , trying to stop the bleeding with my right hand and calling 911 in my left , trying ... to get them here , '' Barnes told KIRO . `` Right before I got off the phone , I could n't feel a heartbeat anymore , and he was gone . '' Geike , Barnes and Brian Johnson were on their way to a celebration of Geike 's upcoming discharge from the Army , Barnes told KIRO . Suspect asked for first aid , police say . Police said they made the arrests after Hill asked a fellow soldier for help mending his hand for a knife wound . That soldier , claiming Hill told him he wounded the hand when he killed someone , told a sergeant , police said . According to police , Hill told the sergeant he injured the hand while cutting vegetables . Hill eventually went to a hospital , where he claimed he hurt the hand while cutting parachute cord , police said . The sergeant went to police . Later , investigators identified and talked to a man who was among the five in the car . That man told investigators that Hill had bear-hugged Geike and pushed him to the ground , and that Hill was covered in blood when he got into the car , police said . The five sped away and got rid of the knife , police said , citing the unidentified witness . A second person corroborated the witness 's account , according to police . Police did n't say how Cedarium Johnson or Runnion-Bareford were involved . They also did n't say why they do n't believe the incident was racially motivated , except to cite interviews from `` everyone involved . '' Hill did not talk to investigators , who still do not know why the stabbing happened , police said . Geike , an aviation operations specialist , joined the Army in October 2010 and arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in April 2011 . Hill , Cedarium Johnson and Runnion-Bareford , as well as their two companions , were assigned to a combat infantry unit at the base , police said . By Sunday , friends of Geike had placed flowers , a balloon and a sign on a sidewalk where the stabbing happened . Barnes said Geike was a good man and a great soldier . `` They were looking for trouble , '' Barnes told KIRO of the assailants . `` They were looking for someone to attack . And we just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time .
It now appears the stabbing was not racially motivated , police say . The suspects , like the victim , were soldiers assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord . Friends say they were on the way to celebrate Tevin Geike 's pending discharge . Witnesses initially said Geike was attacked after an assailant yelled about soldiers being white .