On the afternoon of November 9, an alarming incident occurred at a large hypermarket in Tangshan County, Anhui Province, where a man armed with a knife caused chaos and injury. Initial reports from local authorities stated that four people were injured in the attack. However, multiple eyewitness testimonies have emerged, claiming the true toll of the event is much grimmer, suggesting that it resulted in four fatalities and one serious injury, including the tragic death of a two-year-old child.
Video footage circulating on social media depicts a chaotic scene within the supermarket, where numerous police officers can be seen apprehending a man and escorting him out of the premises before placing him inside a police vehicle. Other clips show paramedics attending to injured victims who were being transported on stretchers to waiting ambulances.
An eyewitness, who was present during the event, recounted the harrowing experience. She described seeing a vast number of police cars and ambulances arriving shortly after 5 PM. “I didn’t see the attacker, but I witnessed the victims, and their injuries looked severe. Rumors are that four people died and one is seriously injured. In a situation like this, it’s hard to escape unharmed. This has become a major news event for our area; I’m too scared to even visit the hypermarket now. They say the attacker has a history of mental illness, but he didn’t seem like someone who would do this,” she said.
Another local resident corroborated the alarming details, confirming the reported fatalities. “Four people are dead and one is seriously hurt. We don’t know many specifics about the attacker, but it seems he has mental health issues. He indiscriminately attacked people, regardless of age. A two-year-old child was one of those killed; he received three stab wounds, including slashes to his neck.”
Furthermore, a woman named Wang shared that a friend of hers works at that very supermarket. “My friend is fine, but those who were killed were unfortunately caught in a terrible situation. The attacker, aged 43, began his assault on the third floor around 5 PM. Four people were stabbed to death, and one suffered severe injuries; two of the victims were supermarket employees, and the others were a mother and her young child, around two years old. Official statements suggest that the attacker has mental health problems. I’ve heard that videos of this incident are being taken down from social media platforms like Douyin very quickly. The timing was especially unfortunate; it was peak hour, right when children were being picked up from school and the area was crowded with people. It’s heartbreaking, especially for that little child.”
Wang also noted the horrific scene inside the supermarket, recalling, “The floor was covered in blood. Police issued a report that they were making every effort to save the lives of the victims, but it was too late for many. Those who were stabbed bled out so quickly, without immediate life-saving interventions, they lost consciousness and didn’t make it. It’s said the attacker has mental health issues, but no one knows the motivation behind such a brutal act. Who could foresee such violence? A single swipe with the knife resulted in uncontrollable bleeding, and there simply wasn’t enough time for aid to arrive, especially during rush hour—by the time the ambulances got there, it was already too late.”
Later that evening, the Tangshan County Public Security Bureau confirmed the incident, stating that at approximately 5 PM, a knife attack took place, injuring four individuals. The suspect, a 43-year-old man identified as Niu, was apprehended at the scene.
Currently, the four injured victims are receiving emergency medical treatment, while investigations into the case continue.