Two family members of the American Men's Indoor Volleyball Coach who were in a tour group were attacked and stabbed along with the Chinese tour guide. while they were touring the Ancient Drum Tower in Beijing, one of the most popular tourist sites in the city. The attacker then lept to his death off the tower.
The American male was fatally injured and the female is in critical condition. The condition of the Chinese tour guide was not reported.
More at CNN.com
Zayda posted on Aug 09, 2008
| views: 553
Comments
-
TinSoldier said on Aug 09, 2008....
... *speechless* -
skald said on Aug 09, 2008....
How awful. I am sorry. -
Zayda said on Aug 09, 2008....
Tin and Skald: Yes, it is certainly terrible. -
Zayda said on Aug 09, 2008....
The news tonight is reporting that the incident appears to be an isolated incident. And, apparently, attacks on foreigners in Beijing are really rare. -
wombat said on Aug 09, 2008....
I heard something of this today at work, but hadn't caught the full article yet. I am assuming that so far the reason for the attack must be unclear. And I can't fathom what it could be. -
Zayda said on Aug 09, 2008....
Wombie: They haven't said anything on the news about a reason for the attack other than to state that it appeared to be an isolated incident. As it is, I guess it's difficult to determine a reason when the attacker, himself, is dead since he killed himself after the attack. -
wombat said on Aug 09, 2008....
Personal/political? Always a deadly combination if that is what it was. And hopefully it will remain "isolated." -
Zayda said on Aug 09, 2008....
Wombie: I just watched the nightly news; apparently, the man who attacked the party was simply an unemployed man with no address. The authorities do not believe that the people who were attacked were singled out because they were American. -
wombat said on Aug 09, 2008....
That is good to hear....definitly. Thanks for the update. -
FutureGoddess said on Aug 10, 2008....
Zayda - the two who were attacked were the relatives of the US Indoor volleyball team coach. According to reports, they were not wearing anything that could identify them as uniquely American so they believe that the attack was random by a crazed lunatic. Their 14 year old daughter unfortunately had to watch the entire attack (I cannot imagine what this will do to her psycologically), but was not harmed, nor was the guide.
It is incredibly sad that when the world comes together for the Olympics, an event which is supposed to bring the spirit of unity - and what the Chinese had hoped - harmony (which was their message for these games), that on the first official day of the games, THIS had to happen. Sigh....
-
queenparanoia said on Aug 10, 2008....
this is just sad... -
Zayda said on Aug 10, 2008....
Future: Yes, I noted they were the relatives of the Men's Indoor Volleyball team coach in the original post.
And yes, it's incredibly sad that an event that is meant to bring the world together is marred by such a tragedy.
Unfortunately, things like this and even on a larger scale have happened at Olympics in the past. The 1972 Munich Olympics saw eleven Israeli athletes and coaches killed by members of Black September, a group with ties to Yasser Arafat’s Fatah organization. That was, of course, politically motivated, unlike this attack. Still, both were horrible tragedies.
Perhaps it's naive of me to say this, but these athletes while representatives of their countries on the Olympic level, are most often victims of the politics of countries. They really want to simply focus on their sport.
QP: Indeed it is sad. -
silverwhisper said on Aug 13, 2008....
i have only one word: incomprehensible.
ed
Comment on "American at Olypmics Stabbed to Death"
Related Posts: