A worker in Nanchang, Jiangxi, was shot dead while using the toilet in a field, sparking continued social attention to this mysterious murder case. Although the police have criminally detained the suspect, there is still a serious disagreement between the victim’s family and the company to which the victim belonged regarding compensation. The family stated that they are currently unsure how to handle the aftermath of the victim.
On August 7, the Honggutan Branch of the Nanchang Public Security Bureau reported that on July 7, at 1 am, it was reported that a construction worker, Mr. You, had not returned to the dormitory on the construction site for a long time after leaving work. His coworkers searched around but could not find him. At around 1:50 am, Mr. You’s body was found about 800 meters from the dormitory in a field.
Investigations revealed that around 10:30 pm on July 6, the suspects Qu and Luo drove near the construction site with an air gun for hunting. Qu mistakenly shot Mr. You, who was squatting in the field, thinking he was a target, leading to Mr. You’s death.
On July 8, Qu and Luo were criminally detained.
According to Jiu Pai News, Mr. You’s family explained that he was from Xin Hua County, Loudi City, Hunan, and had three adult sons. His 80-year-old mother and wife, who resides in their hometown and lacks independent financial capacity, relied on Mr. You as the main breadwinner by doing odd jobs. In the first half of this year, Mr. You was introduced by villagers to work on a construction site in Nanchang, Jiangxi, under the project of China Communications Construction Co., Ltd. (referred to as “CCCC”).
On the evening of July 6, Mr. You talked to his wife on the phone, saying he was about to finish work. However, after other coworkers finished work after 11 pm, Mr. You was nowhere to be found in either the work location or dormitory, and he did not answer calls. The team leader reported to the police around 1 am on July 7, leading to the discovery of Mr. You’s body in a field about a hundred meters from the construction site.
Mr. You’s nephew, Zhang Ping (pseudonym), stated that they are still unsure how to handle the funeral arrangements for his uncle.
Zhang Ping mentioned that Mr. You’s wife, who did not receive an education, has been farming and taking care of their children in their hometown, while Mr. You worked in the city during idle farming periods or took on odd cleaning jobs for household appliances, becoming the main source of income for the family.
After dinner on July 6, Mr. You greeted his coworkers, saying he was going to the toilet, but he never returned. The autopsy revealed that Mr. You died from a gunshot wound fired from an air gun, with the bullet passing from his left eyebrow to the back of his right brain.
Another participant in the search, Lao Luo, explained that the scene was about 80 meters from the construction site, with Mr. You’s pants pulled down to his knees, and no signs of defecation or urination at the scene. “The autopsy showed that the feces were inside the anus. It is inferred that the incident occurred right after he squatted down. As there were female workers nearby, he may have wanted to move away. The construction site was noisy, and no one heard the gunshot.”
Zhang Ping stated that the family believes Mr. You’s death occurred during work and should be considered a work-related injury. However, the company maintains it is a criminal case and is not their responsibility.
The family of Mr. You claimed that the person in charge of the CCCC project stated they were only willing to provide a humane compensation of 250,000 yuan, but they currently do not accept the company’s explanation of Mr. You’s death as an industrial accident.