Man given death sentence for shooting two people dead

Chen Jianxiang, who shot dead two people over a grudge, was sentenced to death for intentional homicide at Loudi Intermediate People's Court in Hunan province on Friday.

Chen, from Hunan, got the gun by deceiving the local police bureau in Xinhua county on the morning of Dec 22. At around 10 am, he shot Zou Heng to death after luring Zou to get in a car and drive to a rural area. In the evening, he shot dead Duan Xinmin and then escaped from the crime scene, according to the verdict.

It was a planned crime, as five days before the offense, Chen listed names of those who had disputes with him and left a note to explain the cause of the killing and the final arrangement of himself, according to the verdict.

"Chen had disputes with Duan and Zou several years ago, and his shooting was an act of revenge," the verdict said. "His behavior proved intentional homicide."

Although officers told the court that Chen was suffering from depression, the court said Chen clearly knew what he was doing during the shooting and was mentally fit during the killing spree.

Chen confessed to the crime, but considering the severity of the crime, he was not eligible for a lenient punishment, the court ruled.

More than 20 people, including Chen's family members and the victims' relatives, attended the hearing.