Knifeman kills three, injures 11 in Guam tourist attack

HAGATNA, Guam (AFP) - Three people were killed and 11 injured - most believed to be Japanese - when a crazed motorist went on a stabbing spree in a tourist strip in the Pacific nation of Guam, police said on Wednesday.

The attack occurred late on Tuesday when a man drove his car up a pavement near the Outrigger Guam Resort, then rammed into a convenience store before jumping out of the vehicle and stabbing bystanders.

Police said a 20-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was arrested after the attack but they had not yet determined any motive.

"He came out of the car and started attacking people. It was scary," witness Lendi Cruz told AFP.

Officials could not immediately confirm the identity of the dead but local reports said many of the injured were believed to be from Japan, the major source of tourists for the nation.

The Pacific Daily News said at least two of the injured were babies, while a spokeswoman for the Guam Memorial Hospital told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the victims' ages ranged from eight months to 82 years.

The hospital spokeswoman, Shirley Pinera, said translators were being provided for Japanese patients hospitalised after the attack.

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