5. Mangilao machete attack

The #5 story in our countdown of the biggest moments in Guam news in 2019 is the Mangilao machete attack.

In June 2019, former Sen. Judi Guthertz was driving one of several cars that were attacked by what she says was a group of four to five young men wielding machetes along University Drive.

"Right now, I feel very nervous looking at a machete in front of me," she told KUAM News after the horrifying incident.

A day after the machete attack, an emergency meeting was held at Adelup to discuss what happened.

"I think the media blew it out of proportion," Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero.

Similarly, Dededo Mayor Melissa Savares said, "I think it was blown out of proportion," and Teresa Filipin, consul general for the Federated States of Micronesia, added, "I think it was an exaggerated incident."

Residents and businesses, however, felt that was far from the truth.

"Governor, with her thoughts on her report from the police; her saying that you guys are blew it out of proportion, why don't she get her information from the people who were victimized," Kin Cruz said. 

And the governor did holding town hall meetings on public safety in several villages beginning in Mangilao where the machete attack occurred.

"What is happening to this village recently is simply unacceptable,"  Gerry Cruz shared. "I could tell you story after story because it's happened so many times since 2006, its 2019, that's 13 years of reckless abandonment up there in the university area."

The FSM's Filipin also spoke out.

"Please be assured that the FSM government and its people are not sitting idle and they're not turning deaf ears to what's happening on Guam," she said. "We are very concerned and saddened that these things are happening, however. I personally implore on the general public that this is not the FSM; these behaviors that we're seeing this misbehaving attitude of young people this is not the FSM people. Those of you that know the islands know that we don't normally do this is in the islands not in Yap, not in Pohnpei, not in Chuuk not in Kosrae. These are actions independent actions of a few young men that have gone to this extreme where people are very fearful for their lives and their safety in the communities."

Two brothers were arrested for the machete attack - Emmanuel Reselap and Jordan Rachulap. After a trial, they were found guilty.