Eight people were killed and 17 others injured in a stabbing incident at a college campus in eastern China on Saturday, marking the latest in a troubling series of violent attacks that have alarmed a nation accustomed to low crime rates.
The attack occurred around 6:30 PM at the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology in Yixing, according to local police. Video verified by CNN depicts several individuals lying motionless on the ground, while screams can be heard amidst onlookers.
Authorities detained a suspect at the scene, identified as a recent graduate who was reportedly motivated by frustrations over failing an exam, not receiving a graduation certificate, and dissatisfaction with his internship compensation. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
This stabbing follows a series of mass casualty events in China, a country of 1.4 billion with one of the lowest violent crime rates globally, attributed to stringent gun control laws and extensive surveillance. Just last Monday, a car attack in Zhuhai resulted in 35 fatalities as it plowed into people exercising, marking the deadliest known public attack in a decade. Approximately 40 others were injured.
As news of the car attack circulated, censors quickly removed online videos and moderated discussions on social media platforms.
Earlier this year in October, a 50-year-old man was arrested after a stabbing near an elementary school in Beijing left five injured, including three children. Additionally, in September, a knife attack at a suburban supermarket in Shanghai resulted in three deaths and 15 injuries. That same month, a bus crashed into a crowd outside a school in Tai’an, Shandong province, killing 11 people and injuring 13, but authorities did not clarify whether it was an accident or deliberate.
