News of the Weird - Samurai sword attack in Los Angeles?

I just had to read about this when I read the headline.  Apaprently a man who worked in the porn industry, as a web designer and sometimes actor, stabbed three co-workers, one of whom died in an attack around 10:30 pm on June 2, 2010.  I understand that 99.9% of the time, the media means a replic of a samurai sword.  This one was described as a samurai-like sword.  But does anyone in the media really know what a samurai sword looks like?  I think not.  Case in point. The book cover on the home page of this blog.  I had to make a production decision, accuracy vs eye-catching. I chose eye catching.  But I also did some market research and not one person in the general population I asked couldn't recognize that the knife the man is holding is not a samurai sword. I simplify, I know. But, so, how did these people know it was a samurai like sword.

I also thought gee what an unusual story.  But I decided to search for samurai sword attack and boy was I surprised.  Seems like someone is attacked every year in the United States.  But then I ask again - they might have been swords, but how credible are the descriptions about them being samurai swords?