A Norwegian cruise employee stabbed several people on board, according to police

A Norwegian Cruise Line employee was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stabbing several people during an Alaska cruise.

Personnel aboard the Norwegian Encore saw Ntando Sogoni attempting to deploy a lifeboat late Sunday evening, according to an affidavit signed by Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Matthew B. Judy.

Sogoni, a South African citizen, had boarded the ship in Seattle that day.

Ship security officials took him to the medical center for evaluation. As he was taken to an exam room, he “became irrational and attempted to leave” and attacked a security guard and a nurse, the affidavit said.

He then ran into another examination room, grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed a 75-year-old woman “several times in the arm, hand and face” for a medical examination. The woman was a US citizen.

“Security forces intervened and Sogoni stabbed two guards with scissors before they were able to subdue and arrest him,” the affidavit states. He is said to have stabbed one in the head and the other in the back and shoulder. The injuries were not life-threatening.

According to the document, the attack occurred just before 2 a.m. PDT on Monday. The ship was west of Vancouver Island at the time and approximately 16.5 miles from land.

Sogoni was held in the ship’s prison until Encore reached Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska said in a news release that he is charged with assault under maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

An attorney for Sogoni was not listed.

A Norwegian spokesman told USA TODAY that a “newly hired crew member exhibited unusual and irrational behavior.”

“The ship’s security team accompanied the crew member to the medical center for examination and assessment, where he became violent without provocation, attacking two other crew members and a guest,” the spokesman said in an emailed statement. “The security team quickly apprehended him and medical staff on board treated those involved for non-life-threatening injuries.”

Appropriate law enforcement authorities were contacted “immediately” and took the employee into custody upon the vessel’s arrival in Juneau. “We condemn violent behavior of this nature and are committed to the safety of all crew members and guests on our ships,” the spokesman added. “We commend the safety team on board for their courageous efforts.”

The ship’s senior leadership monitored the situation and senior company executives traveled to Juneau to meet and assist the passenger. “We will continue to support the relevant authorities in the ongoing investigation,” the spokesman said.

The news comes after a Carnival Cruise Line guest pleaded guilty in February to assaulting a fellow passenger and hitting him in the face with a glass.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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