Ntando Sogoni, a 35-year-old South African cruise ship worker, was arrested in Juneau, Alaska, for a violent mass stabbing spree that injured several people aboard the vessel.
Ntando Sogoni charged in Alaska for mass stabbing
On Monday, 6 May 2024, while the cruise ship was at sea, Ntando Sogoni allegedly engaged in a violent attack using medical scissors as a weapon.
According to the US Justice Department, the incident began when Sogoni, reportedly trying to deploy a lifeboat, was intercepted and taken to the ship’s medical centre by security.
There, he attacked a security guard and a male nurse. He continued his rampage by entering another examination room and stabbing a female U.S. citizen multiple times.
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Additionally, he injured two other security guards who attempted to intervene.
Following the attacks, Sogoni was subdued and detained in the ship’s jail until the ship docked in Juneau, where he was arrested by the FBI.
Who is Ndanto Sogoni?
Ntando Sogoni had been employed on the cruise ship, working in various capacities before the incident. His background includes a series of jobs in the hospitality and service industry, which eventually led to his employment on the cruise liner.
Known to his colleagues as a generally quiet and reserved individual, the motives behind his violent outburst remain unclear.
The incident has shocked those who knew him, painting a starkly different picture of the man involved in such a serious confrontation.
A South African charged in foreign territory – What happens next?
Being a South African national charged in the United States, particularly Alaska, complicates Sogoni’s legal situation.
He faces federal charges for assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction, which could lead to a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count if convicted.
The legal proceedings will adhere to US laws, where Sogoni is entitled to a fair trial and will be represented in court, where all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case is being handled by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska with the involvement of the FBI and the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
