ZHUHAI, China — On Wednesday, members of the community gathered to pay tribute to the victims of a tragic incident involving a driver who crashed into individuals at a sports complex in southern China. This incident occurred on Monday night, resulting in the deaths of 35 people and injuring 43 others. The driver, identified as a 62-year-old man with the surname Fan, was apprehended as he attempted to flee the scene. Reports indicate that he was distressed over his divorce settlement, which may have been a motivator for his actions.

Starting Tuesday evening, the public began bringing flowers to commemorate those who lost their lives, a somber vigil that continued into Wednesday. Although there was a light police presence in the morning at the sports complex, which remains closed indefinitely, security forces increased throughout the day. Authorities allowed visitors to leave floral tributes just outside the entrance, while volunteers promptly relocated the flowers inside the facility.

Among the bouquets was a poignant message that read, “May there be no thugs in heaven. Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished.” This tragic event unfolded just before the Zhuhai Airshow, a significant aviation exhibition organized by the People’s Liberation Army, held biennially. With such important events, Chinese authorities typically implement strict measures to control information dissemination, especially surrounding major crises or acts of violence. Consequently, precise details regarding casualties or injuries were unavailable for nearly 24 hours following the incident.

While videos capturing the aftermath were swiftly censored in China, they began circulating outside the country’s internet restrictions. One notable source was Teacher Li, an artist and dissident with a follower base of 1.7 million on social media, who shared crowdsourced footage depicting the event. Additionally, articles featuring survivors’ interviews were promptly removed from Chinese media platforms within the first couple of days after the attack, leaving the narrative predominantly shaped by official statements.

According to preliminary investigations, police revealed that Fan was unhappy about the division of financial assets resulting from his divorce. However, further details regarding his divorce or alleged motivations remain undisclosed. In response, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a strict and lawful punishment for the accused, stressing the need for local governments to enhance the prevention and control of risk factors. He urged officials to proactively resolve disputes to avoid extreme situations from escalating. The call for action highlights the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in managing public safety in complex societal contexts.