Six people were killed and one severely injured in a deadly attack at a kindergarten in South China's Guangdong on Monday, according to a spokeswoman for the local government. Among the dead are three students, two parents and a teacher, authorities said following the brutal knife attack.
A 25-year-old man has been detained over the fatal incident, local police said in a statement posted on social media. In contrast to the ongoing issue of gun violence in the United States, China has seen an increase in targeted crimes involving the use of blades and knives. These incidents highlight a different form of violence prevalent in China.
Deadly Attack
The spokesperson without sharing too many details said, "The victims include one teacher, two parents and three students." She did not provide specific information regarding the identities, ages, or the weapon used in the attack that took place in the city of Lianjiang.
However, reports indicated that the victims were stabbed, indicating the nature of the violence involved in the incident.
According to a statement from the local police and the city spokeswoman, the suspect responsible for the attack is a 25-year-old man named Wu who began the rampage at 7.40 am. He was arrested by the authorities. The rampage initiated by the suspect commenced at 7:40 a.m.
The incident comes amid a wave of increasing violent crime in China, a country that has experienced significant economic growth in recent decades, accompanied by a rapid widening of the wealth gap.
There have been reports of videos captured by bystanders, allegedly depicting the crime scene. However, these videos were soon removed from platforms such as Douyin (a video-sharing platform) and Weibo (a Twitter-like platform).
It appears that authorities have taken steps to prevent the citizens from sharing the details of the attack.
Unsafe in China
Incidents involving attacks on schoolchildren have indeed been a longstanding issue in China. More than a decade ago, the former Premier Wen Jiabao appeared on television following a series of such attacks, pledging improved security measures in schools and initiatives aimed at addressing the underlying problems contributing to these incidents.
The government recognized the importance of taking comprehensive actions to ensure the safety and well-being of students in educational institutions.
Although China has been successful in gun control it has struggled with mass stabbing, particularly in relation to attacks targeting students and schools.
These incidents have occurred across the country in recent years, leading to heightened security measures being implemented by authorities. The severity of the attacks has also prompted calls for increased research into the underlying causes of such violent acts in order to better understand and address the issue at its roots.
Last August, three people lost their lives, and six others were injured in a knife attack at a kindergarten in Jiangxi province.
Similarly, in April 2021, a knife-wielding man entered a kindergarten in southern China and killed two children and injured 16 others.
Moreover, in June 2021, a knife-wielding attacker wounded 37 students and two adults at a primary school in southern China. These incidents highlight the recurring nature of knife-related violence in educational settings in the country.
In November 2019, in a harrowing incident in southwest Yunnan province, a man climbed over a kindergarten wall and sprayed a corrosive liquid on people, resulting in injuries to 51 people, predominantly students.
In the same year, a tragic "school-related criminal case" took place in central Hubei province, leading to the deaths of eight schoolchildren and injuries to two others. A 40-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident.
In April 2018, a devastating attack unfolded outside a college in the northern province of Shaanxi, where a 28-year-old man killed nine college students and injured 12 others. The attacker later revealed that his actions were driven by a desire for revenge after experiencing harassment by a student from the same school.
