China Executes Two Men for Deadly Attacks

China has executed two men who were responsible for two deadly attacks that happened within a week in November of last year.
Fan Weiqiu, 62, drove his car into a group of people exercising outside a stadium in Zhuhai, killing at least 35 and injuring many others. This incident is considered the deadliest attack in China in ten years.
Just a few days later, Xu Jiajin, 21, went on a stabbing spree at his university in Wuxi, killing eight people and wounding 17 more.
Authorities said Fan was upset about how his property was divided after his divorce. Xu attacked because he was frustrated after failing to get his diploma due to poor exam results.
Fan was arrested at the scene on November 11, where he was found with self-inflicted wounds. In December, he was convicted of “endangering public safety,” and the court described his actions as “extremely vile” and “particularly cruel.” He was executed on Monday, less than a month after receiving his death sentence.
Xu confessed to his crime “without hesitation” on November 16. He was sentenced to death on December 17, with the court saying the circumstances of his crime were “particularly bad” and “extremely serious.”
Recently, China has seen an increase in public violence, with many attackers targeting strangers due to personal problems. In 2024, there were 19 such attacks reported.
Shortly after the attacks in Zhuhai and Wuxi, a man named Huang Wen drove into a crowd of children and parents outside a primary school in Changde, injuring 30 people.
Authorities said Huang acted out of anger over investment losses and family issues. He received a suspended death sentence last month, which could turn into life imprisonment if he does not commit another crime in the next two years.
-BBC