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In Beijing, Parents Of Ex-Player Are Stabbed; One Dies
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"That's when she was attacked," Dale Bachman said. "To me, that was a strong indication of her love."
The U.S. Embassy said in a statement that the attack appeared to be an isolated incident "with no connection to the Olympics."
The Bachmans were not wearing clothing that identified them as relatives or members of the U.S. delegation, the USOC said.
President Bush, who is in Beijing for the Games, said in a statement to reporters traveling with him that "Laura and I were . . . saddened by the attack on an American family and their Chinese tour guide today in Beijing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. And the United States government has offered to provide any assistance the family needs."
Clark T. Randt Jr., the U.S. ambassador to China, visited Barbara Bachman in intensive care to deliver Bush's message. He declined to comment on the attack. A source said Bachman had undergone surgery, but the source did not know the extent of her injuries.
China's vice minister of foreign affairs, He Yafei, also visited Bachman in the hospital and expressed his deep sympathy to the U.S. government and relatives of the victims. "The Chinese government paid high attention to this case," state media quoted He as saying. He added that law enforcement has undertaken a "serious investigation" of the case.
Beijing, a city of 17 million, is generally safe, and few residents fear walking alone even in the middle of the night. It is illegal for private Chinese citizens to own guns.
Still, there are regular reports of violent incidents throughout the country as people frustrated with government corruption or injustices lash out.
For example, a man who was angry about a rough police interrogation in Shanghai recently walked into the station and stabbed to death six police officers and wounded four others.
Attacks against tourists are rare, but the U.S. Embassy has warned they are on the rise. A reporter for New Zealand television who is covering the Games was attacked and slightly injured Friday night by a young man wielding a broken chair, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.
In March, a Chinese man with a bomb strapped to his body took 10 Australians hostage on a bus in the tourist city of Xian. A police sniper shot and killed him. No tourists were harmed. A 22-year-old Canadian model was robbed and murdered last month in her Shanghai apartment after being in China for two weeks.
Saturday's attack rattled Chinese officials, who have made safety their top priority in hosting the Games. President Hu Jintao has said on several occasions that a secure Olympics is essential for the state's image.
