On May 22nd, a man in Wushi Town, Luchuan County, Guangxi, China, was involved in a stabbing incident with the police on the street. Official reports stated that a total of 7 people were injured, including both police officers and civilians. However, local sources claimed that there were 2 fatalities and 6 injuries, with the perpetrator allegedly seeking revenge against traffic police.
Video footage circulating online showed a man in black clothing wielding a sharp knife and attacking traffic police officers at a local market in the town on the morning of May 22nd. The officers sustained serious injuries, with one officer lying in a pool of blood on the roadside before being rushed to the hospital on an electric scooter. Subsequently, several police officers engaged in a physical struggle with the man, resulting in multiple officers being stabbed by him.
The Luchuan County Public Security Bureau reported that on the morning of the 22nd around 9:50 am, a knife attack occurred on Construction East Road in Wushi Town. The suspect, a 30-year-old man named Wen, injured two civilians and five law enforcement officers while attempting to stop him. Wen was eventually apprehended and the injured individuals were taken to receive medical treatment.
Local residents contacted by reporters revealed additional details about the incident, suggesting that the official report had downplayed the extent of casualties and the motives behind the attack.
One resident, identified as Chang Tian, disclosed that the man committed the murder in front of his small shop and even shared a video of the incident and its sequence of events with the reporters. According to Chang Tian, the day of the incident was a market day in the town, and the man harbored a grudge against the traffic police, leading to a premeditated act of retaliation. He mentioned that the man carried not just one or two knives but four or five well-sharpened ones, showing clear intent to target the traffic police.
After committing the stabbing, the man fled the scene, leaving behind a trail of blood in the streets. Chang Tian further revealed that contrary to the official announcement, one traffic police officer and a motorbike passenger had died, with six others sustaining injuries.
The man reportedly sought refuge in a closed-down supermarket and even took a woman hostage. Eventually, his mother arrived at the scene and persuaded him to surrender to the authorities, resulting in his arrest.
Chang Tian expressed concerns about the substantial fines imposed by the local traffic police and believed that the man’s actions were not solely motivated by financial penalties. He speculated that even without any mitigating factors, the act of premeditated retaliation warranted capital punishment.
In the aftermath of the incident, additional law enforcement agencies such as special police and armed police were deployed to the scene. This heightened response underscored the gravity of the situation and the potential threat it posed.
Another witness, Mr. Li, who had come to Wushi Town early in the morning with his child for medical treatment, recounted the chaos he encountered. He mentioned that the scene had been cordoned off, with bloodstains visible throughout the area, indicating the extent of the violence that had unfolded.
Accounts from bystanders revealed the severity of the injuries sustained by the victims, including a man with a stab wound to the chest and a motorbike passenger in critical condition. The chaotic nature of the attack was evident as police officers attempting to apprehend the assailant fell victim to his violent actions.
Despite the various versions of events circulating on social media, the underlying discontent and escalating violence among the disenfranchised population in China remain undeniable. Some online users lamented the transformation of societal grievances into violent outbursts, highlighting the deep-seated frustrations and anger prevalent within the grassroots population.