A total of six individuals–including three children, a teacher, and two parents–have been killed, and one person has been injured in a kindergarten stabbing in China’s southeastern Guangdong province on Monday, reported international media.
The grievous ambush transpired on Monday at 07:40 A.M. local time, just as parents dropped off their children for summer school classes. At precisely 8 A.M., the suspect was arrested.
Lianjiang police stated that they apprehended a 25-year-old individual with the surname Wu and labeled this case an “intentional assault;” however, they have not provided a possible motive for the crime.
As footage of the attack circulated on Chinese social media, it provoked outrage and horror. The incident generated intense discussion on the social media platform Weibo.
With 290 million views, its circulation was considered by far the most popular download as of late, of course from the dubious connotation of the word “popular.” Some social media users even went as far as demanding that the suspect be executed.
“It’s outrageous to do this to children who have no power at all. How many families will be destroyed by this … I support the death penalty,” one Weibo user commented.
Another user criticized school security, particularly in light of prior similar incidents. Less than two weeks ago, a Florida (U.S.) sheriff’s deputy was exonerated for his alleged child neglect in failing to neutralize a gunman who was eventually successful in his mass shooting, resulting in the deaths of 17 individuals. Law enforcement official in Uvalde, Texas, faced similar scrutiny for their inaction a few years later, in the hot seat for that mass shooting, as well.
China has experienced a surge in knife assaults in recent years, with one incident involving chemical spray. Since 2010, at least 17 knife attacks occurred in schools, colleges, and institutions, with ten occurring between 2018 and 2023 alone, according to BBC.
Attacks on children bring to light untreated and unresolved mental health issues that are often swept under the rug, owing to the cultural stigmatization associated with mental diseases in the nation.