The U.S. couldn't get passed the first day of full activities at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing without being devastated with tragedy. An American man was killed and American woman attending the Olympics was wounded in downtown Beijing Saturday by a Chinese man who then killed himself, according to China's official news agency, Xinhua.
A Chinese tour guide, a woman, was also wounded in the attack, which happened around noon at the Drum Tower, a popular tourist site, Xinhua reported.
The attacker, identified as a 47-year-old man from the eastern Chinese city Hangzhou, jumped to his death from the second level of the Drum Tower, a spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Government Information Office told Xinhua.
The official said both U.S. citizens had entered China with tourist visas. The report did not say how they were attacked.
A White House spokesman said President Bush, who is attending Olympic events Saturday, was told about the attack against the U.S. citizens.
The U.S. Embassy and the White House have offered the victims' families whatever assistance is needed, the spokesman said.