As Beijing Olympics Have Opening Ceremonies, An American Tourist (Relative of US Men’s Volleyball coach) is Killed at Beijing’s Drum Tower … Attacker Tang Yongming

As much as the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics were a fantastic and had spectators in awe, this story will most certainly put a dark cloud upon the games.

A knife wielding Chinese man stabbed to death an American man and injured two others who was attending the Olympic Games. With an unprecedented amount of police and military presence at the Beijing Olympics, it just goes to show even a totalitarian dictatorship like China that random acts of violence cannot be prevented.

BEIJING, China (CNN) — A Chinese attacker stabbed two Americans, killing the man and wounding the woman, who were attending the Olympic Games on Saturday, according to the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The man also injured a female Chinese tour guide before leaping to his death around noon from the second floor of the Drum Tower, a popular Beijing tourist site, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

The USOC said the two Americans were family members of a coach for the U.S. men’s indoor volleyball team. No other information about them was released.

 Drum Tower in Beijing Crime Scene

One American tourist has been murdered and another was injured in Beijing, China while sightseeing at Beijing’s Drum Tower at mid-day today. The two Americans who were attacked were relatives of a coach for the U.S. Olympic men’s volleyball team. The suspect has been identified as 47 year old Tang Yongming from Hangzhou.  According to reports, after he attacked the two Americans with a knife, Tang Yongming committed suicide by jumping off the Drum Tower.

UPDATE I: American killed at Games was coach’s father-in-law

Todd and Barbara Bachman of Lakeville, Minnesota were attacked at the Drum Tower, an ancient monument in downtown Beijing, the IOC and Chinese authorities said.

Barbara Bachman’s injuries are “serious and life-threatening,” an IOC statement said. The tour guide’s condition was not immediately clear.

Todd Bachman was the father-in-law of U.S. Olympic men’s indoor volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon. McCutcheon’s wife, 2004 U.S. Olympic women’s indoor volleyball player Elisabeth Bachman McCutcheon, was with her parents when they were attacked, but she was not hurt, the IOC said.

VIDEO

UPDATE II: Stabbing victim father of ’04 U.S. Olympian, father-in-law of coach (ESPN)

Barbara, Elisabeth & Todd Bachman

UPDATE II: A Face brought to the Murder in Beijing, the Bachman’s

Father Todd Bachman was murdered and mother Barbara Bachmna is in critical condition. God bless this family and may Barbara have a safe ans speedy recovery.