KUALA LUMPUR – A knife attack at the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology in eastern China has claimed the lives of eight people and left 17 others injured, according to local police. The incident occurred on Saturday evening in Yixing County, Wuxi city, at approximately 6.30pm local time.
Authorities identified the suspect as a 21-year-old former student of the institution, who was scheduled to graduate this year but failed his exams, according to Al Jazeera.
“He returned to the school to express his anger and commit these murders,” police said, adding that the suspect has been arrested and confessed to the crime.
This tragedy follows a series of violent attacks in China, a country typically known for its low rates of violent crime due to strict gun controls and widespread surveillance.
Last week, in a separate incident, 35 people were killed and 43 others injured when a car rammed into a crowd at a sports facility in Zhuhai, in southern China. The attack was the deadliest public assault in the nation in a decade, prompting authorities to swiftly censor online videos and moderate social media discussions surrounding the event, CNN reported.
October saw further violence when a knife attack near an elementary school in Beijing injured five people, including three children. That same month, another knife attack at a Shanghai supermarket killed three people and injured 15.
The spate of attacks extends to September, when a bus crash outside a school in Tai’an, Shandong province, claimed 11 lives and injured 13 others. Officials have yet to clarify whether the crash was intentional.
The attacks have shocked many in China, where mass casualty incidents are rare. The surge in violence has raised concerns about public safety and prompted calls for increased security measures.
Details about the motivations behind some of these incidents remain unclear. – November 17, 2024