China executes two men over deadly attacks in same week
In November, China executed two men responsible for two deadly attacks within a week.
62-year-old Fan Weiqiu killed at least 35 people and injured dozens of others after the attack. Driving into a person exercising outside a stadium in Zhuhai in what is believed to be the deadliest attack on Chinese soil in a decade.
A few days later, 21-year-old Xu Jiajin killed 8 people and injured 17 others in a car accident. There was a stabbing incident at his university. in the eastern city of Wuxi.
Authorities said Fan was motivated by “dissatisfaction” with the way property was distributed after the divorce, while Xu launched the attack because she “failed to obtain a diploma due to poor test scores.”
Fan was detained at the scene on November 11, when he was found to have self-injured.
In December last year, he was found guilty of “endangering public safety.” The court described his motives as “extremely evil” and the “means” he used as “particularly cruel.”
He was executed on Monday, less than a month after a court sentenced him to death.
In Xu’s case, police said he admitted his crime “without hesitation” on November 16. On December 17, the court held that the circumstances of his crime were “particularly bad” and “particularly serious” and he was sentenced to death.
China has been grappling with a spate of public violence recently, with many attackers believed to be motivated by “Revenge against society” – The offender targets strangers because of personal grievances.
In 2024, the number of such attacks nationwide reached 19.
Within days of the attacks in Zhuhai and Wuxi, a man drove his car into a group of children and parents outside a primary school in Changde, injuring 30 people.
Authorities said the man, Huang Wen, wanted to vent his anger after dealing with investment losses and family conflicts.
Huang is Sentenced to death with suspended execution last month – a sentence that could be commuted to life if he does not commit another crime within the next two years.
