Royal Caribbean crew member stabbed female coworker before his fatal plunge near Bahamas: police
The 35-year-old man – whose identity has not been released – is accused of knifing the 28-year-old woman multiple times in her upper body aboard the Icon of the Seas around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nassau Police said in a statement on X.
He then fled and jumped into the ocean, where he was later found unresponsive.
3 The Royal Caribbean crew member who died after going overboard was discovered to have stabbed a female coworker before his fatal plunge.
Chris Gordon/MEGA for NY Post.
The victim was treated and is in stable condition, police said.
Grim footage circulating on social media showed rescue crews pulling his body from the water about 30 minutes later, Cruise Hive reported.
The cruise was nearing the end of its seven-day voyage through the Caribbean at the time of the incident, according to an itinerary.
The ship is scheduled to dock, as planned, in Miami on Saturday.
3 The stabbing victim was treated and remains in stable condition.
TikTok/@olivegardn050/@nickdestefano29
3 Footage of the crew rescuing a person who went overboard on the Icon of the Seas.
TikTok/@olivegardn050/@nickdestefano29
The shocking assault remains under investigation.
Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
9 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Feds raid California home of ‘TikTok Cult' pastor in sex trafficking, fraud investigation
LOS ANGELES - A home linked to a pastor featured in the Netflix docuseries 'Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult' was raided Friday by federal agents in relation to an investigation into sex trafficking, money laundering and other accusations, according to authorities. Property records show the home in the 7700 block of McGroarty Street in Tujunga is linked to multiple owners, including Robert Shinn, pastor of the Shekinah Church and the subject of a 2024 docuseries. He operates a talent agency that purportedly helps social media stars and TikTok dancers find jobs in Los Angeles. Those featured in the docuseries call Shinn an abusive cult leader. They say he kept them away from their families by telling them that in order to be saved, they had to 'die' to their loved ones who did not follow his teachings. He reportedly told them that if they were 'godly' enough, they would also save their families from damnation. On Friday, agents with the U.S. Postal Service, Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Labor served a warrant at the home around 6 a.m., according to the El Monte Police Department, which provided assistance along with the FBI. The search was related to allegations of sex trafficking, money laundering, tax evasion and COVID-19 pandemic-era-related fraud. SWAT officers were at the scene to assist, according to the El Monte Police Department. Postal Inspector Patricia Mendoza said in a prepared statement that officials will provide more details as the investigation progresses. 'U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners on this ongoing investigation. This remains an active case, and we are continuing to gather and review information,' Mendoza said. Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation say the federal warrant is connected with the alleged cult featured in the Netflix docuseries, but details from the investigation remain under seal in federal court. News footage from KTLA showed several handcuffed people outside the residence, but sources familiar with the investigation say there have not yet been any arrests. On Friday afternoon, the Tujunga home bustled with onlookers, curious neighbors and news vehicles. The gated entrance to the home was visibly twisted and warped, having been rammed by federal agents early that morning, according to neighbors. 'I was getting ready for work when I heard the flash-bangs go off,' said one neighbor, Jake Hartmann. 'Then a loud speaker ... 'You need to come out, hands up.' All the neighbors came out to find FBI, Sheriff's Department and police taking up the whole area.' An open gate is apparently unusual for the home. Several neighbors said that in the few years that the alleged cult lived on the property, it was constantly blocked off. The owner reportedly built higher walls and grew trees to further block views of the home. 'When they moved in, it was weird,' said neighbor Marge Wagner. 'They were very secretive, then they sent out a flyer of what they wanted to do. They said they wanted to do all these things for our community. Like letting scout troops meet at the house, doing prayer meetings at night, letting people swim in the pool. It was so bizarre.' The property is large, wrapping around a street corner and lined with a thick wall of trees. Wagner recalls the owner taking back initial offers for a community space and giving mixed messages on the purpose of the property, a move that confused several in the community. 'The owner instead said in local meetings that they would hold a men's prayer night there every Tuesday,' Wagner said. 'For him to say that it was a church and only have one event a week for men … I thought, this isn't right. Nothing seemed right.' Anthony Jackson, who lived next door for years, interacted with the residents of the property many times. Jackson described the neighborhood as quiet, with mostly older residents, and says he never saw any red flags. '[Shinn's] wife is very nice. I've never seen anything out of the ordinary, heard anything out of the ordinary,' Jackson said. 'So when I saw the charges on the news, I couldn't even believe it. I mean, I still don't believe it.' Others, like Wagner, said they found the standoffish behavior of residents at the property suspicious. 'My daughter said, 'Mom, have you heard about that ... documentary? Mom, you've gotta come over and watch this,' ' Wagner said. 'I didn't feel surprised. They ostracized themselves from people around.' A man who refused to be named exited the property as a Times reporter approached. 'This is all just a misunderstanding,' he said, shaking his head at the damaged gate. 'A misunderstanding that resulted in destroyed property.' In response to a request for an interview, the man replied, 'I don't wanna get caught up in all of this. I just live here. They'll see soon that it was all just a misunderstanding.' It was not immediately clear if Shinn had any legal representation. The docuseries follows former Shekinah Church members who worked with the 7M Films talent agency, which was founded by Shinn in 2021. The series reveals that the dancers who were represented by the talent agency started as social media collaborators who frequently posted dance videos together on TikTok, but that group found themselves attending Bible study with Shinn. Those dancers invited friends to join what eventually became the core group of the alleged cult. Shinn reportedly called himself 'the Man of God' and said his teachings would grant his followers salvation. Times staff writers Brittny Mejia and Kimberly Aguirre contributed to this report. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Who is Robert Shinn, ‘TikTok cult' leader whose home was raided in federal sex-trafficking probe?
Investigators from at least four federal agencies raided a California home Friday linked to mysterious 'TikTok' cult Pastor Robert Shinn, the founder of a so-called talent agency that allegedly exploited amateur dancers with promises of TikTok stardom. A handful of people were led away from the home — located in Los Angeles' Tujunga neighborhood — in handcuffs, after FBI, IRS, US Postal Service and Labor Department agents swooped in on the residence. However, it was unclear if Shinn, 87, who has been likened to a cult leader, was among them. Advertisement So, who exactly is Shinn? In 1994, he founded the Shekinah Church, a Christian congregation recently profiled in Netflix's documentary series 'Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult' that initially served as a house of worship for Korean Americans in LA. Shinn also owns 7M Films and is associated with several other California businesses, including Shinn Entertainment Corp., IP Random Film, IHD Studio and Glory Bag Records. Advertisement 3 Pastor Robert Shinn has multiple companies and may be worth $15 million. KTLA 5 He shares ownership of the home that was raided Friday with multiple people. A self-proclaimed 'man of God,' Shinn is alleged to have lured dancers to sign with his talent agency, 7M Films. He allegedly assured them he could turn them into TikTok sensations. Instead, Shinn allegedly financially and physically manipulated and abused the dancers, encouraging some of them to disown their families. Advertisement Other dancers have accused Shinn of sexual assault. The church allegedly encouraged members to surrender their time and money in support of its mission to save one billion souls from damnation. 3 It was unclear if Shinn was arrested during Friday's raid. KTLA 5 The warrants served at the house Friday involved allegations of sex trafficking, money laundering, mail fraud, tax evasion and COVID-19-related fraud, according to the Los Angeles Times. Advertisement Still others were forced to join the Shekinah Church and later served as recruiters for 7M. Shinn, who is married to Hannah Shinn, has previously denied claims that the Shenikah Church and 7M are affiliated, TV Insider reported. The Canadian-born Shinn is estimated to be worth $15 million. One of his children, singer-songwriter Kloë Shinn, defected from the church in 2022 with her husband Daniel Joseph, according to Cosmo, which added that he also has two sons, Conrad and Isaiah. Her music has appeared on reality shows like 'Queer Eye' and 'The Real Housewives' as well as the movie 'Random Encounters,' a 2013 film starring Meghan Markle — that was produced by her father. 3 Women have accused Shinn of physical and sexual assault. KTLA 5 Several former dancers and ex-members of the Shekinah Church teamed up to sue Shinn in 2022. The lawsuit alleges exploitation and labor law violations by the church and Shinn, and remains active. In 2009, a woman named Lydia Chung sued Shinn, alleging he'd forced her to turn over $3.8 million in assets through 'undue influence, mind control, coercive persuasion, oppression and other intimidating tactics,' according to the lawsuit. Advertisement She also said the church made her work six days a week, but never paid her. A judge ultimately ruled against her. In 2011, Jung Hee Lee, a former Shekinah member, sued Shinn for allegedly forcing her to work full-time for only a $30 weekly stipend. She won that case, and Shinn was ordered to pay her the compensation she should've received. Shinn himself filed a defamation lawsuit against several former church members after they referred to the organization as a cult, according to CNN.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
What we know about the crew member who died after falling overboard the Royal Caribbean
A crew member aboard the Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas traically lost his life Thursday night after stabbing a female colleague and falling overboard Cruise ships are generally very safe and so the cruise community is in shock regarding this incident. As this is a devloping story, more information can be received in the coming days but here's what we know so far: - It was a crew member and not a passenger that lost his life. - The man has not yet been identified but he was 35 years o age. A rescue crew was able to retrieve him from the water — but he did not survive the fall. - He is accused of knifing a 28-year-old woman multiple times in her upper body aboard the Icon of the Seas. - Royal Caribbean confirmed the death to TMZ, releasing the following statement: "Our crew immediately initiated a search and rescue operation, but unfortunately the crew member passed away. We extend our condolences to the crew member's family and loved ones. To respect their privacy, we have no additional details to share." - The cruise ship was reportedly en route to Coco Cay at the time of the incident. It is expected to return to Miami as scheduled on Saturday. - He then fled and jumped into the ocean, where he was later found unresponsive and pronounced dead by onboard medical staff. - According to police, The female victim, who also hasn't been identified publicly, received medical treatment and is currently in stable condition. With social media users sharing their own near-death experiences on crusie ships, it is a good idea to remember these good safety habits when it comes to cruises: Cruise Safety Habits to Practice Attend the Muster Drill – It may feel routine, but this briefing is essential for knowing what to do in an emergency. Know Your Ship – Familiarize yourself with the layout, especially your cabin location, exits, and key gathering points. Practice Smart Hygiene – Wash hands often and use sanitizer stations to avoid common onboard illnesses. Stay Aware Onshore – When exploring ports, stick to well-traveled areas and follow local safety guidelines. Stay safe andenjy the high seas! Solve the daily Crossword
