A 22-year-old US tourist was stabbed and beaten to death in the holiday resort town of Laganas on the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea in the early morning hours of Friday. The victim has been identified as Bakari Henderson from Austin, Texas, a student at Arizona University.
The young tourist had come to the island for summer vacations a couple of days ago. He died in front of his friends outside a local bar.
The victim: Bakari Henderson, 22, from Austin, Texas. Student of finance and entrepreneurship at Arizona University.
According to first media information, the US τourist was stabbed to death by the Serbian doorman of the bar. The latter but also the barman have been detained by police.
Media report that a brawl broke out between the American tourist and his friends and a group of Serbian nationals inside the bar “bar code” short after 3 o’ clock Friday morning. Reason for the brawl remains unknown.
UPDATE: an officer from the US Embassy in Athens has gone to Zakynthos.
The 32-year-old Serbian doorman got also involved in the brawl.
The victim’s friend told police that the Serbian group started to beat the young American tourist, “attack him with knives.”
At some point, the victim managed to escape and started to run outside the bar.
His attackers caught him 20 meters away from the bar and continued to rage against him. The one fatal beat follows the next.
When the police arrives, the victim’s life is pending between life and death. He is quickly transferred to the hospital but the doctors could not keep him alive.
A local media reports that the US tourist died on the way to the hospital.
His death is attributed to craniocerebral, traumatic brain injuries.
“He was running for his life, but he did not make it. They beat him with such a raving until he was unconscious,” one of his friends said.
“Things were really rough, we were afraid they would kill us too,” another friend said.
Police arrested the doorman and one of the barmen. One more person is currently interrogated by police that seeks to find out whether he was also involved in the US tourist’s murder.
The doorman is reportedly a Serbian national, holder of a UK passport. The second man who has been arrested is a 34-year-old Greek. There are reports that a second Greek barman was also detained.
Police has reportedly detained a total of seven suspects.
Police has seized audio and visual material from security cameras in and outside the bar.
Police has reportedly also reportedly detained the owner of the bar as it investigates among others whether it was the bar policy that personnel was “aggressive” towards customers..
The body of the young man is to be transferred to the University of Patras where an autopsy will reveal the causes his death.
On 13. July 2011, a 19-year-old UK tourist was stabbed to death in Laganas after a brawl with taxi drivers. Four other Britons were wounded in the fight, which erupted after they allegedly started shining laser pens in the eyes of the cab drivers.
On Thursday, the Mayor of Zakynthos had called a meeting with representatives of local bodies on how to avoid violent incidents that are a frequent phenomenon in Laganas.
Sad to hear what happened in Zakinthos ..
this should not be..
First of all having the experience of owning and running a business, it seems that the owners of the business is at fault and the township of Zankithos because .. it’s not the first timje something like this has happened.
There seems to be NO control .. Seems this place only cares about all the money they are making.
Secondly, with Greece ‘s high unemployment,
there should be only Greek citizens working .
These young people are just having fun.
No need for killings… SAD
I think the animals that killed my cousin should spend the rest of their miserable lives in jail. They are a group of cowards and his friends, too. They shoyld have tried to helphim. My family will make sure theseanimals are prosecuted.
I would like to know how this plays out. Sadly the more I read and see whats happening over there, the less safe I feel. No young person on vacation with friends should have to think about losing their life in Greece.
Makes me rethink my vacation future plans. Pretty sad for that young man and his friends and family!
I also agree with Marion’s comment’s.
I agree with Marion.. What are these foreigners doing here and why are they allowed to work?? I blame the business and bar owners as they do this for cheap labor and not to pay taxes for the workers…
This incident is insane and the guilty persons must be sent to jail as well as the owner!!!
A young life was taken for no reason and a family destroyed.
And Angie, I also agree with you… the family must take this to the end. So many times horrific things happen here on the island and it is just swept under the carpet because of corruption.
I truly hope that this time these killers and murderers will be brought to justice!!!!!
This makes me sick. Zakynthos has been raped by tourists, and now it’s reputation is tarnished even further.
The local police and the surrounding community need to work on a solution to clean Laganas up and make it safe for locals and tourists again.
Lagana now is a disgusting place. I will never recommend anyone to go there. I live in Greece and my husband & I went to Zakynthos 2 weeks ago to see our Greek friends. It’s a beautiful island ruined by this hell hole and the authorities allow all these dirty , tacky bars and nightclubs and then wonder why there are tragedies like this. It’s way past time that the Municipality cleaned up Laganas, close down these tacky places and restore the town to what it used to be many years ago when ordinary families enjoyed going there without seeing drunks lying in the gutter and tacky, cheap pizza establishments everywhere. Bring back the good quality restaurants, bars where normal couples can have a drink and walk home feeling safe. That’s the only way to discourage the youngsters who only want to drink themselves to oblivion. I am not suggesting this was the cause of this tragedy, but these sorts of bars encourage a lot of unsavoury characters. and if you’re a newcomer to Laganas it takes a coupleof days to see it fir what it is.
Frightening. The other reports say that there were six against one with brass knuckles. How could anyone be secure with security that is poised to kill a guest? What happened to Greece? RIP poor boy.
To all you of you that believe in lies in your silly news.
For your information. The guy was in front of the pub with other americans and totaly wasted. He tried with force to take selfie with the Serbian girl, pulling her despite her oppose to him. He even cut her over hand with his ring or something else.
When the stuff from pub came he throw bottle on one of them and cut with the glass another guy.
After they chased him he fell bad on sidewalk and badly injure head and neck broken.
The guy that hit him have British passport but origin is from Bosnia and not from Serbia.
So cut the b***** hate against Serbs again. It will not help you. We are used to hear so many lies about Serbians but the trhuth eventually prevail and you will become the looser. Ask yourself wht your journalist keeps talking bad about Srbian people and is this rasism from side fo your complete journalist or from someone above that give permission what to write your quasi free and democratic josurnalists.
They protected honor of that girl like americans will do the same if that happened in your country.
Yes this will not have to happen but NO he is not an angel and all Balcan, Greece, Serbia, Coratia etc. knows how your kids know to behave when they come to our countries. You think that you can do whatever you want, that you are smarter, stronger etc. but the truth is opposite and that it is better for you to behave with respect when you enter this countries with over 7000 years of culture and history !
So my fellow americans when you enter this countries, especially Serbia behave politely.
After all, your government bombarded our towns without any honest reason, killed our kids and innocent people in cities just several years before, so do not expect that everyone will be nice to you especially if you behave badly.
Try to do this in Israel for example or in Texas. What will happen to him since he is black in Texas?
Think of it before you judge according to lies from your news.
The bombing of Serbia was a crime against humanity that no sane being, no true citizen, no true pacifist and no true democrat should ever forget. The hatred towards Americans and their other European “allies” of the wolves pack is justified and understandable. We Greeks tried to help at the time, but our government, as usual, served their Masters.
I am sorry about the incident in Zakynthos – I am not well informed to comment on the causes, but I am sure that an American life is worth more than a Serbian one in the western meat market. “Justice” will work around this principle.
“What will happen to him since he’s black in Texas”. What does that even mean?! Texas is a great state. Black or white or anything is welcomed in TX. What a line of BS spewed above. Very poor English skills, hard to follow. Whatever happened, a young man didn’t deserve to be savagely beaten (unless he was threatening someone else’s life). Too bad people excuse bad/murderous behavior because they are from the same ethnicity….be a real human and admit something tragic took place.
They just protected HONOR of serbian girl attacked by this american guy…he was just “collateral demage” like many serbs during nato bombing…
Can you please tell me why you did not post my post please. Mine was the 12 comment. Thank you
The comment from Luka sounds like he has lots of chips on his shoulders. A hate of Americans perhaps due to history. How awful of him to give a different story. 10 set upon this poor boy, Chased him , beat and stabbed him according to security cameras !! My 18 daughter that was attacked by bouncers in the club opposite the Saturday before can vouch what animals they are. The bouncer even laughed with others after he threw her down the stairs. I was protesting on social media about the violent bouncers before this murder happened. Seems like corrupted gangs/thugs that enjoy beating drunk tourists up for any excuse have been arrested.
They should not describe the UK passport holder as British. Britons are not predisposed to racism and violence, the Serbian and other foreign animals who do not share British values are. Serbians are legendary for their violent, thuggish and uncivilized behavior. It’s just who they are. The UK government are fools for destroying the most civilized culture in the world through reckless immigration policies. Hopefully my country will learn from their mistakes,
“For your information. The guy was in front of the pub with other americans and totaly wasted. He tried with force to take selfie with the Serbian girl, pulling her despite her oppose to him. He even cut her over hand with his ring or something else.”
For your information, Luka, Serbs did kill this young man, and all you are saying is one, big lie. One of the guys admitted everything: they attacked this young man because they didn’t like the fact that a Serbian girl wanted to be with an American, a black American. These villains are ignorant, cruel, narrow-minded killers who now deserve a life sentence, and don’t bullshit me with ‘everyone’s blaming Serbs’ crap. It doesn’t matter if they are Serbs, Greeks, Germans etc.They killed a boy ruthlessly.
Spare us the propaganda Charles. I have had my share of insults and racist remarks during my 8 years in the UK, just because my accent was foreign – and the thugs doing it were not passport holders but pure English (as distinct from Scottish etc). No, you are not the most civilised culture in the world. Tell this to your ex colonies, to the Greeks after the end of WW2, to the Cypriots and to many other recipients of your “civilised” interventions. Equally, tell this to the people of Irag, whom your hysterical PM Tony Blair at the time was happy to bomb and devastate for the sake of non-existent chemical weapons and for the sake of “democracy”. That said, I salute you for giving us the Beatles and the 60s and for having the courage to break out of the German prison called the EU.
Zakynthos is a beautiful island who’s main income is tourism and farming. The Greek people are some of the most welcoming friendly people you will meet whose country is financially crippled. They are hard working respectful people who will fall over backwards to make you feel welcome. I have been to zakynthos many times and have always had a fabulous time. Sadly there is a downside, it is the resort of laganas, a cesspit of huge numbers of bars selling cheap alcohol to massive gangs of European (mainly british) youngsters who pumped on testosterone and cheap alcohol cause carnage on a nightly basis. Don’t think twice about going to the stunning island of zakynthos, give laganas a very wide berth.