On July 14, the news of “16-year-old track and field youth from Inner Mongolia stabbed to death while celebrating victory” went viral, continuing to draw attention. Reports from the mainland mentioned the incident occurred at a “business establishment” without specifying the exact location, leading to questioning from netizens.
The mother of the slain teenager, Ms. Shi, revealed that her son’s last words to her on the ambulance were, “Mom, I am in pain, I want some water.” Many internet users expressed how heartbreaking this statement was.
According to the “Red Star News,” in the early hours of May 24 this year, 16-year-old high school student Xiao Zhang from Urad Front Banner, Inner Mongolia, was stabbed by a man and succumbed to his injuries despite rescue efforts.
On July 12, Ms. Shi stated that her son Xiao Zhang was a registered athlete with the Chinese Athletics Association. The day before the incident (May 23), he had just participated in the 51st Urad Front Banner Elementary and Middle School Track and Field Games and won the championship in the high school boys’ 4x100m relay. That night, he went out to celebrate with his classmates.
Ms. Shi mentioned that around 2 am on May 24, Xiao Zhang and several classmates were passing by a business establishment in an alley where they playfully knocked on the door. Later, at the alley entrance, they were allegedly stabbed by a staff member from that establishment.
She revealed that the suspect was arrested early on May 24, and the case was transferred to the local prosecutor’s office on July 3. The police are currently investigating the case as intentional injury leading to death.
An officer from the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Urad Front Banner Public Security Bureau told the media that their team is handling the case but did not disclose further details about the case.
The incident has once again sparked a wave of attention and discussion among netizens.
Many internet users questioned why the reports only mentioned the location as a “business establishment” without providing specific details.
According to a previous report from “Lychee News,” on the early morning of May 24, a 16-year-old high school student was allegedly playfully knocking on a room door in an alleyway, then was fatally stabbed at the alley entrance by a 36-year-old male employee from a suspected hotel.
Ms. Shi had previously posted on social media, stating that her son, after celebrating with classmates post-competition, playfully knocked on a door in an alley and was subsequently attacked by a male hotel employee.
The autopsy report indicated that Xiao Zhang’s cause of death was due to “sharp external force applied to the right chest, causing rupture of the right lung, massive bleeding, leading to death.”
In a video, Ms. Shi also mentioned that through her inquiries, many locals knew that the incident hotel was allegedly involved in illicit activities. While admitting her son’s actions of knocking on the door were inappropriate, she emphasized that it did not warrant such a severe outcome.
The case has prompted various speculations online.
Netizen “Wuyipingping Dust Monk” questioned why, despite the incident occurring in May and the suspect being arrested, it only gained widespread attention after over two months. There were rumors circulating online that the suspect had a mental illness, raising suspicions about the delay in public awareness.
The incident has also sparked discussions among netizens regarding the behavior of the teenager playfully knocking on doors and the violent actions of the suspect.
Some netizens believed that while the playful behavior was inappropriate, it should not have resulted in a fatal attack.
A netizen commented, “While the child may have been at fault, that can be addressed through parental guidance, but causing harm or taking a life is simply despicable.” “The child may be in the wrong, but the level of violence is too extreme; after all, it involves a human life.”