A 62-year-old man, Fan Weiqiu, has been sentenced to death for killing 35 people by driving his car into a crowd at a sports center in Zhuhai, southern China, last month, state media reported Friday.
The attack, which targeted people exercising at an outdoor venue, marks the deadliest public act of violence in China in a decade.
Recent months have seen a worrying rise in random acts of violence against the public, including children, amidst slowing economic growth. These incidents have unsettled a society accustomed to low violent crime rates and extensive surveillance.
Fan Weiqiu, 62, was sentenced to death on Friday by the Zhuhai Intermediate People’s Court after pleading guilty earlier the same day, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The court concluded that on November 11, at around 8 p.m., Fan drove his vehicle into a crowd at the Zhuhai Sports Center in a fit of rage over his failed marriage and what he perceived as an unfair divorce settlement. His small off-road vehicle struck dozens of people exercising on the center’s track.
Following the attack, police found Fan inside the car attempting to harm himself with a knife. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, according to an earlier police statement.
The court described Fan’s actions as “despicable” and noted that the crime’s nature was “particularly brutal” and carried out in an “especially cruel” manner, CCTV reported.
This attack resulted in the highest death toll from a public act of violence in China since 2014, when a series of attacks occurred in the Xinjiang region. The incident prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to condemn the act as “extremely vicious” and call for strict punishment, as reported by CCTV.
Fan’s sentencing follows closely on the heels of another case in which a court handed down a suspended death sentence to a man who drove his car into a crowd outside a primary school in Hunan province, injuring 30 people, including 18 children.
Driver Who Rammed Into School Crowd in Southern China Receives Suspended Death Sentence
A Chinese court has sentenced a man to a suspended death sentence for driving his car into crowds outside a primary school in southern China last month, injuring over two dozen people. The incident is one of several recent violent attacks that have unsettled the nation and led to increased security measures.
The driver, identified as Huang Wen, received the sentence with a two-year reprieve from a court in Changde city, Hunan province, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Under Chinese law, the sentence could be reduced to life imprisonment based on Huang’s behavior during the two-year period.
Huang Wen was arrested at the scene on November 19 after injuring 30 people, including 18 students, according to court records.
The court revealed that Huang carried out the attack to express anger over investment losses and disputes with his family. After driving his vehicle into the crowd, he exited and began attacking bystanders with a weapon before being apprehended.
Videos verified by CNN showed scenes of panic, with schoolchildren screaming and running into the schoolyard as a man’s voice urged, “quickly, quickly.” Another video captured multiple injured individuals lying on the road while police handcuffed a man near a vehicle.
Images and footage of the incident were swiftly removed from social media, and comments on related posts were disabled.
“Huang Wen deliberately targeted a large number of innocent primary school students, displaying despicable motives and extreme malice,” the court stated.
Spate of attacks
The incident in Changde occurred just over a week after China experienced its deadliest attack in a decade, when 35 people were killed as a man drove his car into crowds at an outdoor sports center in Zhuhai, southern China.
The suspect, a 62-year-old man, was captured while attempting to flee. Police investigations suggested he was motivated by anger over a divorce settlement.
Additionally, on November 16, a mass stabbing on a college campus in eastern China left eight people dead and 17 others injured.
China has seen a sharp rise in violent attacks targeting random members of the public, including children, in recent months, coinciding with a slowdown in economic growth. These incidents have unsettled a society long accustomed to low violent crime rates and extensive surveillance.
On social media, some users have cautioned others to remain vigilant, describing these attacks as
acts of “revenge against society” by individuals pushed to desperation and instability.
Public frustration is growing amid China’s struggling economy, plagued by issues such as a collapsing property sector, low consumer confidence, and high youth unemployment. While authorities have introduced stimulus measures, many experts believe they fall short of reviving domestic demand and boosting economic recovery.
The surge in violence has drawn concern from top officials. Following the deadly Zhuhai attack, President Xi Jinping urged authorities to “address risks at their roots” and “resolve conflicts and disputes promptly” to prevent further incidents.
Last month, China’s chief judge called for swift and severe punishment for violent crimes against the public, while the top prosecutor pledged to manage risks, ensure social stability, and enforce “zero tolerance” for crimes that threaten student safety.