Hawaii sword attack victim loses arm: ‘It was on the floor’

HONOLULU (KHON2) — A man is in custody as part of an attempted murder investigation after police in Hawaii say he used a sword to attack another man in Waikiki.

Witnesses said it all started with a fight. Michael Suisa, a visitor from Switzerland, stopped at a local 7-Eleven Thursday night to get an ice cream. Little did he suspect that he would witness a sinister attack.

“To me, what happened here is like the world gone mad,” Suisa said.

Another witness, who identified himself as Johnny, said he still can’t believe what happened — especially the sword part.

Both Johnny and Suisa said the incident began after an argument between two men at a 7-Eleven. The men appeared to have had their differences in the past, both witnesses said.

Johnny said things escalated quickly after the two left the store.

“I saw the guy come with a sword and he just cut the other guy’s arm and it was on the floor,” Johnny said. He added that the victim’s entire arm from the wrist down was missing. The victim was also cut on the side of his body, Johny said.

Suisa said the victim remained upright for a moment before falling to the ground.

“He looked like he was in shock,” Suisa explained. “He didn’t understand what happened to him.”

After the attack, Suisa said the suspect ran to the back of the store and dropped the sword before running down the street, where he was later arrested.

Suisa said he is still shocked by what happened and the fact that the suspect had the sword with him in the store.

“What you did to this man changed his life,” Suisa said. “[The victim], it’s not like yesterday. His life is completely different. He lost his palm, just because of a simple argument.

The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition.

Johnny said the incident also changed his perspective on Waikiki.

“I’m from Miami,” he explained. “There’s crime in Miami, but I’ve never seen anything like it… It was a horrible experience.”