A man who drove his car into a crowd of exercisers outside a stadium in southern China, killing dozens of people, has been sentenced to death.
Fan Weiqiu was charged with ‘endangering public safety,’ according to a court statement.
The Nov. 11 attack in Zhuhai left at least 35 people dead and scores injured, believed to be the deadliest attack on Chinese soil in a decade.
The 62-year-old decided to drive his car at high speed into a crowd on a running track because he was “dissatisfied” with how his assets had been divided following his divorce, a court heard.
The court described his motives as ‘extremely evil’ and his ‘methods’ as ‘particularly cruel’. One witness told Caixin news magazine that he drove in a “circular” manner, causing victims “injuries in all areas of the running track.” This is a popular place for people to exercise.
Chinese media reported that Fan, who was reported to be in a coma after sustaining a self-inflicted wound, admitted his guilt in front of the victim’s family and the public.
The attack was one of 19 targeting strangers across China this year, including two within a week of the Zhuhai attack.
Not everyone has a relevant vehicle. In February, a mass stabbing and gun attack occurred in Shandong, killing at least 21 people. The incident was heavily censored by Chinese authorities.
A total of 63 people were killed and 166 injured in this terrorist attack. For example, in 2023, 16 people were killed and 40 were injured.
Some have suggested that the rise in random attacks could point to a general increase in frustration and anger as the economy slows and uncertainty about the future grows.
“This is a symptom of a society with a lot of pent-up discontent,” Lynette Ong, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Toronto, told AFP in November.
