In the evening market of Gaomi City, Shandong Province, a knife attack incident occurred on August 28. During a dispute between two men, one of them took out a large machete and struck the other, resulting in the instant death of the victim.
Video footage from the scene shows two men arguing in the night market, with one man suspected to be a vendor at the market, surrounded by bird cages. Beside him, a woman in black attire sits on a small stool holding a child, observing the confrontation between the two men.
Subsequently, the man in light-colored jacket brandished a large knife-like weapon, slashing at the vendor’s head twice. The vendor fell to the ground, leaving a pool of blood. The onlookers panicked and scattered. The woman in black put down the child, berated the attacker, and anxiously tended to the injured vendor. Afterward, the assailant calmly returned the machete to a black backpack, took out a mobile phone, and made a call.
Netizens reacted with shock and dismay, commenting, “How cruel.” “My home is nearby, I was so scared, luckily I didn’t go out.” “Impulse is the devil.” “Living now is very repressive, everyone should be friendly when going out. Harmony leads to prosperity!” “Life is not easy now, the hostility is too heavy. Try to stay calm in all situations. Once violence erupts, both parties suffer. Hope the government policies do not further provoke social conflicts.”
The video caused a great stir online but was promptly taken down.
On the 29th, the local police announced that at around 20:20 on the 28th, a criminal incident occurred in the jurisdiction of Mishui Street, Gaomi City. The suspect, Ma (male, 36 years old), got into a dispute with Wang (male, 36 years old). Ma used a knife to fatally wound Wang. Ma has been taken into custody for further investigation.
The police report concluded by emphasizing, “Do not spread images, videos, or related information from the scene. Do not create rumors, believe rumors, or spread rumors.”
The police report sparked discontent among netizens: “We hear too often that the case is under investigation. In the end, it’s rarely mentioned again. Perhaps it’s because they can’t say, don’t dare to say, or shouldn’t say! If you can’t say, then just don’t say at all instead of trying to boost traffic while keeping things hidden.” “Is it that complicated for the investigation to still be ongoing for such a straightforward case? What was the dispute about? Why keep people guessing and then say not to believe in rumors or spread them? Why not just directly announce the results?”