A court in China has handed down a death sentence to an individual responsible for the deaths of 35 people last month when he drove his vehicle into a crowd. This incident has raised widespread alarm across the nation regarding the rise of mass violence. The court, located in the southern city of Zhuhai, reported on Friday that the man, identified as Fan Weiqiu, acted out of frustration stemming from an unsatisfactory divorce settlement. The victims of this tragic event were participating in exercises at a sports center when the attack occurred. According to a court statement, Fan confessed to jeopardizing public safety through dangerous actions.
The court described Fan’s motivations as exceptionally contemptible, characterizing the nature of his crime as atrocious, his methods particularly cruel, and the aftermath as profoundly damaging to society. The court emphasized the significant social harm caused by his actions.
This attack was not an isolated incident; it followed a series of similar violent occurrences within China during late October and November, prompting Chinese President Xi Jinping to instruct local authorities to implement measures aimed at preventing future extreme acts of violence. This directive led local officials to commit to investigating personal disputes that might escalate into aggression, covering issues ranging from marital challenges to disagreements over inheritances.
Fan’s conviction marks the second rapid sentencing related to recent violent incidents, a notably expedited process compared to typical court proceedings in China. Earlier this week, a different court issued a suspended death sentence with a two-year delay to another individual who injured 30 people by driving into a group of elementary school children and their parents in Hunan province. This kind of sentence is frequently reduced to life imprisonment.
The Changde court revealed that the second driver had acted out against his frustrations after experiencing financial losses. While attacks targeting crowds with vehicles or weapons have occurred in China before, the series of attacks this fall, particularly the high number of casualties in Zhuhai, has drawn renewed attention to the troubling phenomenon. Many attackers appear to lash out at society due to personal grievances in what are termed “revenge on society” offenses.
Chinese authorities typically exercise strict control over the dissemination of information connected to such violent events, often censoring videos and eyewitness accounts shared on social media. Information releases are usually delayed, frequently several hours post-incident. The death toll in the Zhuhai tragedy was only made public 24 hours after the incident transpired. In addition to the fatalities, police reported that another 43 individuals sustained injuries. Police discovered Fan, the 62-year-old driver, within his vehicle attempting to harm himself with a knife.
In the aftermath of the attack, police erected barriers the following day around the sports complex to prevent public access. Meanwhile, community members chose to commemorate the victims by placing flowers in a nearby square.
