A disturbing incident aboard a cruise liner sailing to Alaska has left passengers and crew shaken after a 35-year-old worker from South Africa allegedly went on a stabbing spree with medical scissors. The accused, identified as Ntando Sogoni, was arrested on Tuesday, May 7, following the reported attacks on May 6, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
Sogoni, who was reportedly employed on the ship, drew attention when colleagues observed him attempting to release a lifeboat. Subsequently, the ship's security team intervened, escorting him for evaluation to the vessel’s medical facility. However, the situation escalated rapidly as Sogoni allegedly assaulted a security guard and a male nurse upon arrival. He then proceeded to another examination room where a female passenger, identified as a US citizen, was undergoing treatment.
According to statements from the United States Attorney’s Office, Sogoni seized a pair of scissors and inflicted multiple stab wounds on the woman, targeting her arm, hand, and face. When two security guards intervened, they too fell victim to the assailant's violence, sustaining injuries to the head, back, and shoulders.
The accused was swiftly detained and confined in the ship’s holding facility until authorities took him into custody. Legal proceedings have commenced, with Sogoni facing charges of assault with a dangerous weapon within the maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If found guilty, he could potentially face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count, as per the US attorney.
An affidavit from FBI Special Agent Matthew Judy, as reported by NBC News, revealed that Sogoni had recently been recruited and had boarded the Norwegian Encore cruise liner on May 5 in Seattle. The FBI subsequently arrested him on May 7 upon the ship's arrival in Juneau, Alaska.
