Chinese officials did not speculate on the reasons behind the attack, which occurred in an area teeming with tourists. Shopkeepers and others in the area who might have witnessed the attack declined to comment.
The state Xinhua news agency identified the attacker by an identity card on his body, saying he was Tang Yongming, 47, from Hangzhou city in eastern China.
The agency said Tang had quit his job at a meter factory in Hangzhou, divorced his wife and vacated his rented house on Aug. 1.
"Tang has no criminal record. His neighbors said they hadn't seen any abnormal behavior from him before left Hangzhou," a spokesman with the Zhejiang Provincial Public Security Bureau told Xinhua.
The attack left the Bachmans' friends shocked and in tears. "This is terrible, absolutely terrible," said Gerald Pint, a retired 3M official and family friend, who also lived near the Bachman family's Naples, Fla. home. "Wonderful family. Very caring and very, very friendly.
"This story will have a huge impact on attitudes relative to the Olympics," he said. "I think there's been some concern anyway, regarding the safety of being there. Obviously, this is a isolated maniac-type person."
President Bush, who is in Beijing to attend the Olympic Games, was informed of the attack, the White House said. "Laura and I were ... saddened by the attack on an American family and their Chinese tour guide today in Beijing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
"And the United States government has offered to provide any assistance the family needs," Bush said in a statement.
A family legacy

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