Eight schoolchildren killed in China, suspect arrested
BEIJING: Eight schoolchildren have died and two others were injured in a "school-related criminal case" in central China, with a suspect arrested, the local authorities said yesterday, the latest attack targeting an educational institution in the country.
The man, 40, was detained by police on the spot following Monday morning's incident in Chaoyangpo Village in Hubei province, according to a statement on the website of the government of Enshi city, reported AFP.
The man had previously been jailed for attempted murder and had been given an early release from prison last year, the Xiaoxiang Morning Post reported.
He had apparently gouged out the eye of his ex-girlfriend, said a man who was from the same village. The fellow villager said: "After he returned home last year, he displayed some mental problems."
One person who knew the attacker said he wanted to take revenge on society and that is why he took a cleaver to the school, Passion News reported.
The local government is making "every effort" to organise the rehabilitation and treatment of the wounded, including counselling, the statement said.
Schools in China have been hit by a number of knife attacks in recent years, forcing the authorities to step up security.
A knife-wielding man killed two people and injured two others at a primary school in central Hunan province in April. The wounded were pupils but the age of the dead was not disclosed at the time.
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