A 35-year-old man from South Africa, identified as Ntando Sogoni, has been taken into custody by the FBI for allegedly stabbing multiple people on a cruise ship in Alaska.
Sogoni was working as an employee on the ship and was arrested on Tuesday after he disembarked from the ship in Juneau.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, several other employees of the ship had reported that on Monday they had seen Sogoni attempting to deploy a lifeboat.
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As a result, the ship’s security personnel escorted him to the on-board medical center for a thorough assessment. While there, the court documents reveal, Sogoni allegedly attacked several people using medical scissors.
“Sogoni physically attacked a security guard and a male nurse inside an examination room and proceeded to enter another examination room where a woman, who is a US citizen, was being examined.
“He grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed the woman multiple times in the arm, hand and face.
“He also stabbed two security guards who intervened — one in the head and one in the back and shoulders.”
Sogoni was detained and held in the ship’s jail before his arrest. He is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 (R4.7m) fine for each count.
The FBI Anchorage field office, FBI Juneau resident agency and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are investigating the case.
USA Today reports Sogoni had only boarded the ship, which it named as the Norwegian Encore, that day in Seattle. The alleged attack happened at 2am on Sunday, the report said.
