2 Japanese tourists killed, 11 hurt after man goes on stabbing spree at Guam resort

Lunatic....

Knives don't kill people, people do. Do we know if he was a local or tourist? Guess this is of interest as so many Japanese tourists go to Guam.

An 8 month old child was stabbed - horrific.

This is terrible but its impossible to control. RIP to the victims.

My condolences to the families of those who were killed.

Another senseless crime. The young man obviously had some mental issues. Hopefully it wasn't politically motivated. It was a tourist area usually there is some agenda when it's done there.

Reading a Guam website, he was a local guy around 21. No reason why he did it, but I hope that they throw the book at him. And no, for those who think he should be extridited to Japan it will not happen. He will get tried there in Guam and if sent to prison will do his time there. I am not sure if Guam has the death penalty, but if they do, he deserves it.

Sad sad story... the guy must have been on drugs

Sad sad story... the guy must have been on drugs

agree with the first three words, maybe he was off them. Why would you assume such a thing? maybe he was mentally ill.

I doubt drugs have anything to do with it. If the guy was targeting Japanese tourists, he probably went crazy because of the lack of opportunities on Guam. I am not justifying his actions but they have built up that area of Guam specifically for Japanese tourists. The rest of the island is in rough shape. I can definitely see an unstable person becoming increasingly fed up and jealous. By the way his name has been released it is Chad Desoto.

We were sitting across the road at T.G.I.Fridays just hours before it happened. The missus wanted to go to that store but because it had been sporadically raining I talked her into going to the JP Superstore. Glad we left when we did.

Wakarimasen:

I don't think that anybody is going to suggest making knives illegal. They are too useful. Unlike guns.

Alphaape - why would you think anyone would want him extridited to Japan? The crime was commited in Guam by a citizen of Guam.

Condolences to the families, and I hope that those who were injured recover fully.

It is long past time for America to institute an assault knife ban like all other civilized nations have. America also needs to limit the number of knives that a person can own to no more than ten. We can only hope that something good can come from this horrible crime. I just don't know how those nuts in the knife lobby can look themselves in the mirror...

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/knife-rights-second-amendment

Just heard from a local Guam friend that the local news is saying this guy was on a relatively new designer drug called "bath salts" which is apparently similar to ice/crystal meth.

Aside from the fact that so many Japanese visit Guam each year, as the article now mentions, I was curious as to why it was 'National' (under crime) news at first. Now that it's been updated the reasons are sadly clear, and my heart goes out to all the victims, and of course I wish the injured a quick recovery. There are obviously sickos and maniacs everywhere, and we've got to be on our guard.

Just some crazy psycho but similar incident happen recently . Is it a coincident or some new brain disorder?

My sincere condolences to the families of the Japanese tourists who were killed and Injured in Guam. As a resident of Guam for almost 30 years, this is an isolated incident. This tragedy should not be singled out as the norm for Guam and detract from the safe, peaceful,tranquility and beauty that is Guam and the wonderful people who call this Island home. As with all places in the world, this was just the next place that someone decided to snap. Hopefully this will never occur again. Peace!

Totally agree that this should not paint Guam as a dangerous destination. Loved it there and the people. By the way, Guam is not a NATION as this story implies. I hope that Japanese will not shun Guam as a tourist destination because of this tragedy but . . .

Not good. Guam is a place whose economy rises and falls based on how many jumbo jets arrive from Japan, Korea and China. Everyone there knows the number. "This week it will be 8, next week it will be 12."

I could not find bath salts but http://mvguam.com/local/news/28143-stabbing-spree-in-tumon.html Has "According to a witness, the stabbing reportedly began at [a night club]. The suspect was “really drunk and high off something”

photos of the crime scene and desoto's arrest here:

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/Police-arrest-man-accused-of-mass-stabbing-in-Guam-4272784.php#photo-4185069

Flashbacks to Akihabara anyone? My first question is, was he deliberately targeting Japanese?

I wonder if this guy was mentally ill ..

Thanks for the update JT. Tragic. seems that the article you ran last year on how to defend against a knife wielding or other lunatic in the street was not entirely superfluous.

Poor victims, especially the little ones.

As this was the doing of one person, hopefully it won't deter future tourists. Remember how many people died in the Bali bombing? 202 people, plus an additional 209 injured. That was the work of a group of terrorists who planned for maximum casualties and psychological impact. Yet, there's plenty of tourists in Bali today, especially Austrralians who were the most numerous victims (88 dead).

I dont understand the need for people to try and find angles on a story like this...speculation on mental health, drug use, specific targets blah blah..acknowledge the tragedy and hope that he hangs, that is all.

And I thought when guns are banned, everything will be peaceful?

Why do the Japanese visit Guam. Its a crime ridden, impoverished hole. This was a gang initiation from reports. Gangs are growing on Guam, and many parts are becoming very dangerous. Look at all the graffiti from the local gangs. The guy stabbed babies and killed the mother and many others are critically injured, House robberies and break ins are up dramatically, the place is becoming so unsafe. Japan is such a nice place, why put your families at risk going there , its not worth it, plenty of better places to go.

Horrible!! Bath salts?? If those drugs were used, time to come down hard!!!

It's sad and unacceptable in any case. Understandable when the have nots see the haves and don't take or take to much.

I doubt drugs have anything to do with it. If the guy was targeting Japanese tourists, he probably went crazy because of the lack of opportunities on Guam. I am not justifying his actions but they have built up that area of Guam specifically for Japanese tourists. The rest of the island is in rough shape. I can definitely see an unstable person becoming increasingly fed up and jealous. By the way his name has been released it is Chad Desoto.

Um, not sure if you have been to many islands but most of them have a resort area and the rest of the island looking dirty, rough, poor or country.

Despicable humans still cloud our world.

All the victims were Japanese. Pretty shocking story.

Well, I certainly hope they get this young man the medical assistance he needs. It's obvious that he was a troubled man.

In this case I prefer to keep an open mind and hopefully discover whether or not he's suffering from any mental conditions. I think it's too early to jump to conclusions or speculate. I'm confident that the police in Guam will do a thorough investigation. People want answers.

I'd hate to see this young man simply thrown under the jail without psychiatric tests done to evaluate his state of mind.

I can't imagine this being a premeditated attack. It all seems very random. Insanity can lead to uncontrolled rage. If this is the case I hope the judge will be lenient.

Insanity can lead to uncontrolled rage. If this is the case I hope the judge will be lenient.

I don't hope that the judge will be lenient. He was sane enough to not try this stunt against a group of people who would probably have fought back such as some local guys, so he knew what he was doing, and should have the book thrown at him in my opinion.

Oh man...not Guam! I've been there a few times once on business and all other times on layovers with military flights. Guam is a nice place (though very expensive) and yes, this is a shock!!! Sad!

All the victims were Japanese.

Three quarters of the tourists to Guam are from Japan. That means that anyone who targets tourists would very likely be targeting Japanese tourists.

Japanese accounted for 73 percent of the 1.1 million visitors to Guam in the 2011 fiscal year, according to Guam Visitors Bureau data. South Koreans were 13 percent followed by 4 percent from Taiwan.

In TV footage of his capture, the attacker's eyes were wild looking. Seems as if he flipped. Also saw where he made an earlier internet film ... and he looked a little wild in this appearance.

As mentioned above, maybe he had a little of the Akihabara incident embedded in his brain ... and he was following his instincts on this horrible attack.

The human mind ... many times mysterious, and scary, things occur there ...

Why did he pick on Japanese specifically? Guy needs dropping down a flight of stairs... psycho.

By using his car and then the knife it reminded me of that pyscho who killed all those people in Akihabara a few years ago... horrible.

I hope the survivors recover quickly and RIP to the two who died in this senseless attack.

@Thunder

It has nothing to do with WHY did he single out Japanese? You make it seem like Japanese are immune to any type of attack or aggression. This was a homicidal lunatic, maniac. The people that he murdered happen to be Japanese at that point in time. Not about race or ethniticy,had it been all Blacks or Hispanics or Whites, the outcome would have been the same. This guy is a basket case and he just wanted to kill people. Hope the guy never sees the light of day ever again.

80% of visitors Japanese. Guam will be in for a ride for the next few months but the next summer will be back to business as usual. Just take a look at akihabara. Nothing changed.

i am from guam.. you guys wanna see more info.

go to guampdn.com

bass4funk... I think my reaction was based on the fact that I have Japanese friends who go to Guam sometimes for a holiday, so I feel concerned for them. Hardly a reason to give me a thumbs down.

You don't go on holiday to get murdered by some freak with a knife.

Based on the article, it seems that he happened upon a tour group and that's a prime reason why the victims were all Japanese. Lots of people in a small area = prime target for vehicular assault.

When I lived on Guam in the 70's, the Guamanians made no secret of their hatred of the Japanese. This was due in no small part to what the Japanese army did to the Island and its people in WWII, some 35 years earlier.

Apparently there's still some people with problems there. Sad.

When I lived on Guam in the 70's, the Guamanians made no secret of their hatred of the Japanese. This was due in no small part to what the Japanese army did to the Island and its people in WWII, some 35 years earlier.

You mean Chamorro people?

Wait until the facts come out first. I went to Guam awhile back and can honestly say I was surrounded by Japanese people. If you go on a spree at a resort in Guam, you will more likely strike a Japanese person than any other tourist.

It goes to show that no part of the world is immune to lunatics.

being from guam living in japan this is very hard to bear. i dont know the insane person but it will hurt the economy, i just hope that people will look over the logic that Guam is a dangerous place. My heart goes out to the victims of the horrendous crime. may the book be throw hard at you mr. de soto

This seems like copycat behaviour of the Akihabara stabbings, but oddly not in Japan. I only say that because I don't know of any other stabbings involving a car.

If anything people shouldn't be afraid of Guam since murderous psychopaths exist everywhere.

What a little monkey someone should have been able to fight back, mother died covering her baby... people need to also take self defense training and women should carry mace or stun gun. forget throwing the book at him.. put in jail? You want to pay for his miserable life.. should have stomped him to death on the scene.

Kimokekahuna Hawaii:

" What a little monkey someone should have been able to fight back, "

Really now? He was running around, stabbing people at random. In similar accidents like this in Japan, people said they were stabbed before realizing what was going on. Why do you think this was different?

@DudeDuece, it's not unusual for Guam Chamorros to refer to themselves as Guamanians just as it isn't unusual for Saipan Chamorros to refer to themselves as Saipanese. On Dog the Bounty Hunter, they detained a man who called himself a Guamanian whereas Mrs. Dog said he was from 'Guamania'.

Guam's community organizations and businesses are coming together to support the victims of the tragic attacks that occurred Tuesday in Tumon with an outpouring of donations from local businesses and residents.

The Guam Visitors Bureau has established a fund called the 2/12 Memorial Fund at the Bank of Guam.

Moderator: The URL will suffice.

Guam is kind of like a small Hawaii but many Japanese and lots of US GIs running around?? Hmmm...hope no local bruddas going on any stabbing sprees high on ice etc... Anybody know who is making or importing these drugs to Guam??

Are you kidding me? We have so many people coming and going. The U.S., Japan, Philippines, Russia. Locals getting nailed for receiving drugs through the mail. Drug rings with millions being exposed. Everybody knows everybody. So its not surprising when they do get caught. This Chad Guy looks high. If so, every drug dealer should get charged just like him for murder.