China has carried out the execution of a man responsible for killing 35 people by driving his car into crowds at a sports center last November, marking the deadliest public attack in the country in a decade, state media reported on Monday.
The perpetrator, Fan Weiqiu, 62, faced execution just over three weeks after being handed a death sentence by a court in Zhuhai, the southern city where the tragedy occurred.
This incident is part of a concerning surge in random acts of violence targeting civilians – including children – that has shaken a nation accustomed to low crime rates and extensive surveillance.
The uptick in such episodes has coincided with economic challenges, leaving the public increasingly uneasy.
Authorities have responded with heightened security measures and calls for severe and swift punishment to deter further incidents.
In a separate case, another man was executed in Wuxi, an eastern city, for a stabbing spree on a college campus last November that left eight people dead, state media revealed.
The attacker, 21-year-old Xu Jiajin, had recently graduated from the vocational college where the rampage occurred.
According to police, his actions stemmed from frustration over failing an exam, not receiving a graduation certificate, and dissatisfaction with internship pay.
The Wuxi stabbing unfolded just days after Fan’s car rampage in Zhuhai stunned the nation.
Fan’s deadly actions on November 11 were reportedly fueled by anger over his failed marriage and what he deemed an unjust divorce settlement, the court found.
Driving a small off-road vehicle, he plowed into dozens of people exercising on the grounds of Zhuhai Sports Center.
When police intercepted him, they discovered Fan inside the vehicle, attempting to harm himself with a knife. He was taken to a hospital before being charged.
During sentencing, the court described Fan’s actions as having “extremely vile motives, the nature of his crime extremely heinous, the method particularly cruel, and the consequences particularly severe, posing great harm to society.”
The attack resulted in China’s highest death toll since 2014, when a series of violent incidents struck the far western Xinjiang region.
China’s strict gun laws and comprehensive surveillance systems have contributed to its historically low violent crime rates.
The severity of the Zhuhai attack prompted President Xi Jinping to denounce the incident as “extremely vicious” and advocate for severe punishment, as reported by CCTV.
News of both executions was widely supported on Chinese social media platforms.
On Weibo, hashtags related to the cases garnered millions of views, becoming top trending topics.
“How very satisfying!” one comment read, with others echoing similar sentiments.
Although China does not release official figures on executions, Amnesty International estimates the country to be “the world’s top executioner,” with thousands of executions and death sentences each year.
