American Tourist Murdered in Beijing

(Beijing, China) A 47-year-old Chinese man, Tang Yongming, attacked two American tourists and their tour guide earlier today before committing suicide.

The attack occurred about noon in downtown Beijing, leaving an American man dead and a female relative plus the female tour guide wounded.

The surviving tourist and the guide remain in hospital.

The US Olympic Committee said: "While at the Drum Tower in central Beijing, the two family members were stabbed 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 seriously injured."

A spokesman for the Beijing Public Security Bureau said: "We need further investigation to find out the motive since the man has killed himself. We have no more information to provide for the moment,"

A US embassy spokeswoman would not reveal the identities of the victims or other details.

She said: "We're actively following the situation right now and US Embassy officials are already at the hospital."

The dead American is reportedly a relative of the U.S. men's volleyball coach.

The attacker, Yongming, killed himself by jumping off the second story of the Drum Tower, a tourist site.


[Update]

The slain victim is identified as Todd Bachman of Lakeville, Minnesota. Wife Barbara Bachman was wounded with life threatening injuries. She's being treated at a local hospital.

Todd Bachman was the father-in-law of U.S. Olympic Men's Indoor Volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon, who is married to Bachman's daughter.