Vicious bus stabbing in Chengdu leaves four dead
Eleven also injured after migrant worker let loose with a knife on innocent bystanders
Monday, 26 August, 2013 [UPDATED: 7:33PM]
Jeremy Blum
[email protected]
A photo taken near Caojia Alley, where the stabbing took place. Photo: Screenshot via Sichuan Daily
A brutal stabbing incident occurred in Chengdu over the weekend, leaving 11 people injured and four dead.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening along Chengdu’s Caojia Alley, Sichuan Daily reported. According to surveillance videos and police investigations, the stabber, a 41-year-old man identified only by his last named Li, was on a bus when he suddenly withdrew a knife and began hacking away at fellow passengers.
Li reportedly stabbed random passerby on the road as he was trying to escape. Photo: Screenshot via Sichuan Daily
The bus driver promptly hit the emergency brake to let passengers exit the vehicle as quickly as possible. Li fled and ran down Caojia Alley, stabbing any bystanders that were in his way.
After parking the bus, the driver ran after Li with a mop, and several other witnesses also gave chase, grabbing alley benches and other implements in an effort to defend themselves.
Local police arrived at the scene after hearing the commotion and fired off warning shots. After Li ignored these shots and continued running, officers opened fire and wounded him.
Fifteen were injured in the vicious attacks. Photo: Screenshot via Sichuan Daily
The extent of Li’s injuries has not yet been revealed, but Sichuan Daily reports indicate that he was apprehended soon after being shot.
As of Monday, Li’s attacks have left fifteen in hospital. Authorities said four people had died from injuries sustained during the stabbing spree.
In the aftermath of the incident, Chengdu mayor Ge Honglin gave instructions for the surviving victims to receive extensive medical treatment, and also called for the mobilisation of an investigative unit to look into Li’s actions.
Chengu police confirmed that Li was originally from Jintang county, and said he may have committed the attacks because of financial problems that resulted from “family discord” and the long-term stress of working away from his hometown.
Li's attacks are a blow to Caojia Alley, a formerly more industrial area that is now a key region in Chengdu’s commercial redevelopment and restructuring program.
The incident is the latest in a series of disturbing stabbings around China, including another attack on a bus in Henan province. The attack, which occurred on August 19, left three people including two children dead.
