Guam Police Chief Steven Ignacio is briefing on the murder of a Korean tourist at a joint press conference on the 5th. /AP Yonhap News
While a Korean tourist in his 50s was shot dead by a gang of robbers in the U.S. territory of Guam, local criticism was raised that there was a hole in security and that there was a lack of guidance to tourists on safety risks and response guidelines. Currently, Guam police have announced that they will deploy all available resources to apprehend the suspect.
According to local media such as Pacific Daily News and Guam News on the 6th (local time), the incident occurred between 7:40 and 8:00 on the 5th. A Korean tourist couple was walking from Gun Beach in the Tumon area of Guam toward the Tsubaki Tower Hotel.
According to a police briefing, a dark-colored SUV approached behind the couple. It is believed that there was one passenger in the car in addition to the driver. It is said that one of them got out of the car with a firearm and demanded their belongings from the couple, and a fight ensued. Her husband was shot and taken to the hospital, where he died the next day.
It is known that the husband suffered an accident while traveling with his wife to celebrate his retirement. Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said her wife is currently in deep distress. Governor Guerrero visited the hospital this morning and said, “Today is a very sad and tragic day for the lives of tourists from Korea and their families,” and added, “As much as the wife wants her husband’s funeral to be held in Korea, we will not follow her wife’s wishes.” “We are working with the government to do this.”
Police tape is wrapped around the area where the shooting occurred. /AP Yonhap News
The suspects have not yet been caught. The police explained that because the area where the shooting occurred was very dark, the suspect’s impressions were not accurately identified. Guam police offered a reward of $50,000 (about 66 million won) for conclusive information about the suspects.
It seems that this murder incident was quite a shock to locals as well. It is reported that this is the first murder case against a tourist in Guam in 10 years since three Japanese tourists were stabbed to death in 2013. In addition to condolences for the deceased, comments on local media news continued, such as “This is a terrible and shameful incident,” “The suspect must be caught as soon as possible and the incident resolved,” and “We must find a solution quickly to prevent our community from retreating.”
As concerns about tourist safety continue, the Guam Tourism Board also steps forward. Carl Gutierrez, CEO of the Guam Tourism Board, said, “We will take measures to improve the environment that can lead to crime, such as dark streets without lighting and abandoned houses and abandoned buildings where criminals can hide and wait to target tourists.” He said, “To prevent this, we will also consider a plan for the Tourism Office to conduct local patrols on its own.”
2024-01-05 23:11:06
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