American killed by attacker in Beijing

[DeeEss57]

From the AP:

BEIJING (Aug. 9) - A knife-wielding Chinese man attacked two relatives of a coach for the U.S. Olympic men's volleyball team at a tourist site in Beijing, killing one and injuring the other on the first day of the Olympics Saturday, team officials and state media said.

The brutal attack shortly after midday was all the more shocking because of the rarity of violent crime against foreigners in tightly controlled China, which has ramped up security measures even more for the Olympics.
The stabbing came only hours after what by many accounts was the most spectacular opening ceremony in Olympic history and has already dampened some of the enthusiasm.

"They are deeply saddened and shocked," Darryl Seibel, a spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee, said of the volleyball team.

The U.S. Olympic Committee said in a statement that two family members of a coach for the men's indoor volleyball team were stabbed at the Drum Tower "during an attack by what local law enforcement authorities have indicated was a lone assailant."

One of the family members was killed and the other was seriously injured, it said. It did not identify the coach or give other details.

The official Xinhua News Agency identified the attacker as Tang Yongming, 47, from the eastern city of Hangzhou. It said Tang attacked the two Americans and their Chinese tour guide, who was also injured, at 12:20 PM local time on the second level of the ancient tower, then leapt to his death immediately afterward. The second level of the tower is about 130 feet high.
Seibel said the two Americans "were not wearing apparel or anything that would have specifically identified them as being members of our delegation" or as Americans.

He told The Associated Press it was "too early to say" whether the U.S. delegation or athletes will require additional security.

U.S. Embassy officials said they were in contact with relatives of the victims who are in Beijing. "Out of respect for the families involved, we can't say more than that," embassy spokesman Don Q. Washington told reporters.
At the scene, police blocked off streets leading to the Drum Tower and cordoned off the area with yellow police tape. Officers collected samples from the tower and the street below.

The exact details of the attack, including the weapon used, were not clear.
"There was a fight here, don't ask me any more questions," an old lady who would only give her surname, Wang, said near the site.

The White House said U.S. President George W. Bush, who is in Beijing for the opening days of the Olympics, was informed of the incident. It said the administration and the U.S. Embassy have offered the families of the victims any assistance they need.

International Olympic Committee spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said it was "deeply saddened" by the attack and was working with Chinese authorities to provide whatever assistance it could.


Wow. What a tragedy. It looks like they were attacked just because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My sympathies go out to the coach and his family.



Dawn

[Hunter Morrow]

Wow, that is horrible.
They were just attacked because they were relatives of a volleyball coach?
Disgusting.

[DeeEss57]

Wow, that is horrible.
They were just attacked because they were relatives of a volleyball coach?
Disgusting.

They were not attacked because they were relatives of a coach. They were attacked merely because they were foreigners. You missed the part of the story that said they were not wearing anything that would identify them as Americans or members of the Olympic delegation. It just so happens they were related to an American Olympic coach. Frankly, it could have been any foreigner.

But it's still disgusting.



Dawn

[John]

Violence in Beijing, sorrow in Minnesota
Assailant stabs and kills Bachman's CEO and wounds his wife
By Sean Jensen, Pioneer Press

BEIJING — Todd Bachman, CEO of Bachman's Inc., was killed and his wife suffered life-threatening injuries when a man stabbed them at an ancient tourist landmark Saturday before taking his own life.

Todd Bachman, 62, of Farmington, was in central Beijing visiting the Drum Tower with his wife, Barbara, 62, and daughter Elisabeth when they were stabbed. Barbara Bachman was transported to a local hospital for emergency treatment after suffering multiple lacerations and stab wounds. She underwent about eight hours of surgery and remained in critical but stable condition Sunday.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_10154020

We'll never know what the reason was, because, 1) the killer is dead, and, 2) it happened in China and they'll either say nothing or make something up if they find it was some anti-western thing.

This location was a bad pick by the olympic committee.

[Demi]

This location was a bad pick by the olympic committee.

Hardly the first time, probably won't be the last.

Maybe in 2012 they can call up Moscow.

[OJVIKE]

was he the bachman who started the flower shops in minnesota?

[John]

That is his company.

He was a nice guy, we met him several times over the years.

[PurpleMustReign]

Hardly the first time, probably won't be the last.

Maybe in 2012 they can call up Moscow.

Or Seoul.

[DeeEss57]

This location was a bad pick by the olympic committee.

I agree with you, John. Getting the Olympics should have been a reward for easing up on their human rights violations. Events like these should not be held in repressive countries and hosting them should be dangled like a carrot to incite change.

Besides, the smog there is enough to kill a healthy human being. Shouldn't the health of the athletes be amongst the top priorities?


Dawn