A horrific stabbing spree at a university campus in Wuxi, eastern China, has left at least eight people dead and 17 others injured. The incident occurred at the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology around 6:30pm today (local time).
Police believe the suspect is a recent graduate of the institution and are investigating whether his failure in an exam was the motive behind the attack. A police statement obtained by CNN revealed: “Around 6:30 p.m. on November 16, 2024, a stabbing incident that resulted in casualties occurred at Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology in Yixing city, causing 8 deaths and injuring another 17, The suspect was apprehended on the scene.”
It was further added that the suspect did not receive a graduation certificate and was dissatisfied with “internship compensation.”
An investigation into the mass stabbing has been launched.
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This incident is the latest in a series of attacks targeting large groups of people in China. Just this Monday, a motorist ploughed into a crowd at a sports centre in Guangdong, southern China, killing 35 people and injuring 43, reports the Mirror.
Emergency services were quickly on the scene following reports of several people being “knocked to the ground.” The victims were believed to be middle-aged and elderly individuals using the track.
Shocking footage circulating online reveals multiple individuals injured and lying on the ground. Bystanders appear stunned at the scene, with some checking on the victims while others seem to be fleeing and shouting in the background.
Twitter user @whyyoutouzhele posted: “Breaking news! Around 8pm on November 11th, Zhuhai Sports Center. An off-road vehicle rushed into the sports center’s track in an apparent act of revenge, hitting a group of people who were walking and exercising.”
“The video showed that a large number of people were knocked to the ground and some people shouted terrorists.”
The tweet went on to say: “It is reported that most of the people who were hit were wearing the same clothes and were a group of middle-aged and elderly people who were exercising on the track. Medical staff are treating the injured, and staff at the scene are persuading onlookers to leave and ask them not to take pictures.”
Police officers “surrounded” the vehicle as the driver allegedly tried to escape. Local media reports suggest police arrested a man named Fan, accusing him of driving into pedestrians.
The driver was reportedly found with a knife and self-inflicted wounds. Authorities are investigating whether a divorce and division of financial assets motivated the attack.
Last month, a 50 year old man was apprehended following an alleged knife attack on children at a Beijing school. In September, a separate knife assault in a suburban Shanghai supermarket led to three fatalities and left 15 people injured.
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