From ramming with car to bombings: Mass killings in China before Zhuhai attack

BEIJING – A series of violent attacks in China, a country that prides itself on its public security, including the deadliest mass killing in a decade, has triggered an online discussion about the nation’s mental health.

Here is a list of the biggest mass killing incidents in the country in recent years.

May 22, 2014: Urumqi, Xinjiang region – Four men drove two sport utility vehicles into crowds of shoppers in a busy market and threw explosives out of the car windows, killing themselves and 39 others. 

Sept 30 – Oct 1, 2015: Liuzhou, Guangxi – In a series of deadly bombings, a 33-year-old man killed 10 people and injured 51 others during a water festival held in the city. The suspect died in one of the bombings, the police said. He had sent more than a dozen package bombs to locations such as shopping malls, hospitals and government buildings.

Jan 5, 2016: Yinchuan, Ningxia – A man carried out an arson attack on a bus, killing 17 people and injuring 32 others.

Sept 12, 2018: Hengyang, Hunan – A man rammed his car into a crowd in a public square and attacked people at the scene with a folding shovel and a dagger, killing 11 and injuring 44 more. According to the police, the suspect had been convicted multiple times for drug trafficking, theft, and harming others, which led to a “desire for revenge against society”.

July 7, 2020: Anshun, Guizhou – A 52-year-old man drove a bus into a lake, killing 21 people and injuring 15 more. According to the police, the bus driver was dissatisfied with his life and was resentful over the demolition of the public housing he rented.

Jan 11, 2023: Guangzhou, Guangdong – A 22-year-old man rammed his car into a crowd in the business district, causing five deaths and 13 injuries. According to the court, the suspect had huge debts and had carried out the crime to “vent personal emotions”.

June 11, 2024: Jilin – A 55-year-old local man

wounded four American instructors

, who were in the city while on an exchange programme, from a small Iowa university in a public park. The officials took more than 24 hours to disclose the attack and Chinese social media was scrubbed of images of the attack.    

June 24, 2024: Suzhou, Jiangsu – An unemployed man in his 50s

wounded three people in a knife attack on a Japanese school bus.

A Japanese boy and his mother were injured and a Chinese employee who tried to protect the students died. State media and major social media platforms condemned “extreme nationalism” after the attack.

Sept 18, 2024: Shenzhen, Guangdong – A 10-year-old Japanese student was

fatally stabbed on his way to school by a 44-year-old unemployed man.

The attack took place on the anniversary of an incident in 1931 that triggered war between China and Japan.

Sept 30, 2024: Shanghai – In a suburban supermarket, a 37-year-old man

killed three people and injured 15 in a knife attack.

According to an initial investigation by the police, the suspect had travelled to Shanghai to vent his anger following a personal financial dispute.

Oct 8, 2024: Guangzhou – A 60-year-old man conducted a knife attack in front of a primary school located in the central area of the city. Three were injured, including two primary school students. The suspect had previously been convicted of attempted murder for stabbing his ex-girlfriend and was released from prison in March after serving his sentence.

Oct 28, 2024: Beijing – A 50-year-old male

wounded five people including three minors in a knife attack

near one of the city’s top primary schools in Haidian district at the school dismissal time.

Nov 11, 2024: Zhuhai – A 62-year-old man

killed 35 people and severely injured 43

by driving a car into a crowd at a sports centre. Police said he had been upset about the split of assets in his divorce settlement.

Nov 16, 2024: Wuxi – A former student went on a stabbing rampage at a vocational college,

killing eight people and injuring 17

, police said. They said he was angry over not getting his graduation certificate and failing an exam.