Nanping school massacre

Nanping City Experimental Elementary School stabbings
Nanping's location (in orange) in Fujian Province
Location	Nanping, People's Republic of China
Date	23 March 2010 7:20 am – (UTC+8)
Attack type	Stabbing
Death(s)	8
Injured	5
Perpetrator(s)	Zheng Minsheng

The Nanping school massacre (福建南平校园惨案) occurred at Nanping City Experimental Elementary School in the city of Nanping, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China, in which a man used a knife to kill eight children and seriously wound five others.^[1] The incident occurred on March 23, 2010, around 7:20 am local time (UTC+8 ).^[2] It was the first of the 2010 Chinese school attacks.

Incident and casualties

The children were attacked outside the gates by a man as they were arriving for school at 7:20 am local time (UTC+8 ).^[3] (Before the attacks, it was the school's practice to keep the gates shut until school began at 7:30 am)^[4] The perpetrator was subdued on the scene by three adults.^[5] Of the eight fatalities, six died at the scene and the other two later in hospital.^[6] The deceased were four boys and four girls.^[7]

The school, which has around 2,000 students,^[8] closed for the day on March 23 before reopening the following day.^[9]

Perpetrator

Zheng Minsheng

Zheng Minsheng (April 30, 1968^[10] – April 28, 2010) who had previously worked as a community doctor, was arrested.^[11] The Associated Press reported that, according to a Nanping city government office who refused to be named, Zheng had a history of mental health issues.^[12] He later told police investigating the crime that he thought "life was meaningless",^[7] and confessed to the crime.^[13] Zheng was charged with intentional homicide by the province's procuratorate.^[14]

At the trial, police stated that Zheng had no history of mental illness, contradicting earlier reports. Zheng said that he performed the attack after being turned down by a girl and suffering "unfair treatment" from the girl's wealthy family. He was found guilty and sentenced to death on April 8, 2010.^[15] Zheng Minsheng was executed by shooting on the April 28, 2010. ^[16]

See also

• 2010 Chinese school attacks
• List of countries by intentional homicide rate

References

1. ^ "Man fatally stabs 8 schoolchildren in China". CNN International. 23 March 2010. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/23/china.school.attack/. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
2. ^ Macartney, Jane (24 March 2010). "Eight children die in Chinese primary school massacre". The Times (London, UK). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7072238.ece. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
3. ^ "Chinese doctor hacks eight schoolchildren to death". AFP (Agence France-Presse). 23 March 2010. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ikFCtyijDeeazgGxCYA3d-p2SnuA. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
4. ^ Juan, Shan; Zhu Xingxin (25 March 2010). "Society Therapists seek to heal devastated children". China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/25/content_9638141.htm. Retrieved 26 March 2010. 
5. ^ Demick, Barbara (March 23 2010). "Man stabs, kills 8 children outside school in China". The Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fg-china-stabbings23-2010mar23,0,1732742.story. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
6. ^ "Man Kills 8 at Chinese School". Time. 24 March 2010. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1974786,00.html. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Chang, Anita (25 March 2010). "Life 'meaningless' for China school attack suspect". The Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h900ktGTVrHki67R6Aa5OABGb1ggD9EL3GK80. Retrieved 26 March 2010. 
8. ^ Zhi, Lin (23 March 2010). "Man kills eight children at east China school, suspect arrested". Xinhua. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-03/23/c_13221479_2.htm. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
9. ^ "Classes resume after man stab eight students to death in east China". Xinhua. 24 March 2010. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-03/24/c_13222860.htm. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
10. ^ 郑民生:走上55秒杀戮之路, sxgov.cn (April 2, 2010)
11. ^ Fairclough, Gordon (23 March 2010). "Eight China Students Stabbed to Death". The Wall Street Journal (New York: Dow Jones and Company). http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704211704575139500440463336.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
12. ^ Bodeen, Christopher (24 March 2010). "8 children stabbed to death at Chinese school". The Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h900ktGTVrHki67R6Aa5OABGb1ggD9EKGUKO2. Retrieved 24 March 2010. 
13. ^ Jingqiong, Wang (26 March 2010). "Society School killer wanted to take revenge on society". China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/26/content_9644723.htm. Retrieved 26 March 2010. 
14. ^ "Procuratorate nods arrest of man killing 8 kids". Xinhua. 24 March 2010. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/24/content_9637431.htm. Retrieved 26 March 2010. 
15. ^ "Man sentenced to death over China school stabbings". BBC News. 2010-04-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8609162.stm. Retrieved 2010-04-08. 
16. ^ "China executes killer of eight school children". news.bbc.co.uk. 2010-04-28. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8648077.stm. Retrieved 2010-04-28.