This week, an American teacher who was stabbed in Jilin, China, returned to his home in Iowa, United States on Thursday (June 13th).
David Zabner, a teacher sent by Cornell College in Iowa for an exchange program with its partner institution Beihua University in China, flew back to the US from Beijing on Wednesday night (12th) local time and arrived in the US on Thursday.
Four teachers from Cornell College were attacked with a knife in a park in Jilin city on Monday (10th). The US Ambassador to China stated that among the victims were three Americans and one non-American resident of Iowa, with a consular officer visiting the four victims at the hospital on Tuesday (11th).
Zabner’s brother, Adam Zabner, who is a state representative in Iowa, issued an updated statement on Wednesday evening, saying that Zabner had been discharged from the hospital in Jilin city and was on his way home.
“It will be a long day, but we expect him to be home by Thursday,” Adam said. “We are grateful that David survived the attack and has recovered well. We look forward to seeing him soon.”
He mentioned that Zabner’s injuries were healing well and expressed gratitude on behalf of his brother for the medical care received in China, as well as the support provided by Beihua University and Cornell College.
Adam also acknowledged the significant assistance provided by the US State Department, especially the US Consulate General in Shenyang, during this difficult time.
“In the past few days, we’ve also received assistance from the office of Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Chuck Grassley, and Congresswoman Mariannette Jane Miller-Meeks, and I’m very thankful for their efforts in bringing Zabner home,” Adam added.
On Wednesday, Zabner also had a conversation with US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns.
Regarding the condition of the other three teachers who were victims, Adam stated, “We are not authorized to share information about Zabner’s colleagues, but we keep them in our thoughts and hope they can also return home soon.”
This was Zabner’s second visit to China. During an interview with Iowa Public Radio on Tuesday, he recounted the incident.
Monday happened to be the Dragon Boat Festival holiday in China. In the morning, Zabner and his three colleagues had planned to watch festival activities at the Songhua River. However, they found too many people by the riverside, obstructing the view of the water. So, they opted to take a walk in the nearby Beishan Park. As they descended the hill, they suddenly heard a scream from behind.
“I turned around and saw a man waving a knife charging towards me. I didn’t react immediately, realizing what was happening. I thought my colleague was pushed by someone, and then he (the knife-wielding man) seemed to want to push me for some reason,” Zabner told IPR News from his hospital room. “It was only when I looked down at my shoulder that I realized I had been stabbed.”
“I was stabbed and bleeding,” he said.
Photos and videos of the incident quickly circulated on Chinese social media on Monday, but most of them were swiftly censored by the Chinese authorities.
In one photo, Zabner was lying on his side, grimacing in pain. About 20 minutes after being stabbed, medical personnel arrived. Another teacher with him in the photo had blood flowing from his back. In a separate video, Zabner could be heard trying to make a phone call back home.
Zabner’s arm was stabbed six inches from his shoulder. He and his three colleagues who were attacked simultaneously were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
After the widely circulated victim videos were released for 30 hours, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized the stabbing of the four American teachers in Jilin as a “random incident.” Subsequently, the local public security bureau issued a notice announcing the rapid capture of the suspect.
The Jilin city police stated that they had arrested a suspect surnamed Cui, who allegedly stabbed four foreigners and a Chinese citizen who tried to prevent the assault. The police mentioned that the 55-year-old suspect had a collision with one of the foreign nationals.
Zabner told IPR that the Chinese police informed him, “[The suspect] was unemployed, had bad luck, and said someone in our group ran into him. Then he decided to respond in his way.”
Some Chinese netizens described the incident as “horrible,” while others questioned why the Chinese media did not report on the attack. Against the backdrop of heightened propaganda of nationalism and anti-American sentiment in China, some were concerned that this attack might impact China’s global image and foreign visitors’ willingness to travel to the country.
In China, while firearms are strictly controlled, knife attacks are not uncommon. China has had a series of knife attacks in public places like schools and hospitals. However, public attacks targeting foreigners are rare.