Dispute with neighbors prompted deadly knife attack, police say

A neighborhood dispute led to a knife attack in Henan province in which eight people were killed, including three children, police said.

The tragedy occurred at around 4 am on Wednesday in a village Lushan county in Pingdingshan. The eight victims are from two families in which the fathers are brothers. Seven of the victims were dead at the scene; one victim died at a hospital at around noon.

The suspect, a 41-year-old bachelor, has given himself up to police.

Zhang Xiaolei, a Henan Public Security official, told China Daily that the killings resulted from a neighborhood dispute, although further investigation is required to know the exact reason.

Zhang also said that Henan Public Security officials had arrived in Lushan to lead the investigation.

A local police officer told Beijing News that the tragedy resulted from a small incident.

The family living opposite to the bachelor fixed a mirror on their gate and the bachelor thought that this was ominous for him, the policeman said on the condition of anonymity. The tragedy happened after the bachelor quarreled with the family, the police added.

In some parts of China, people believe that a mirror fixed on a gate can frighten away monsters and turn calamities into blessings for the family.

Another knife attack happened on Tuesday in a primary school in Hubei province, injuring eight pupils, and drug abuse might have been the reason for that incident.

The suspect, Chen Zuihang, 35, tested positive for methamphetamine in a urine drug test, local police said. According to the investigation, Chen used drugs and acted abnormally before the stabbing spree in Macheng.

The suspect has a history of drug use. He was detained by police in his hometown in Luoyuan county, Fujian province, in 2006 and 2011 for drug use, the police said.

The migrant worker is accused of rushing into the Wulidun Elementary School with a kitchen knife at 12:19 pm and attacking students.

Li Jianxin, a teacher at the school, said teachers caught the suspect at the scene and called the police. The injured, all from the first and second grades, were hospitalized. One student suffered serious injuries, while the seven others had minor injuries.

“An 8-year-old boy had suffered massive blood loss by the time he was sent to our hospital,” said Huang Dan, a doctor in the People’s Hospital of the city.

Huang said the boy was still in critical condition and needed further observation in the intensive care unit.

The local government said the head of the school has been suspended and the person in charge of school security has been fired. An investigation continues.

Hou Liqiang in Beijing and Xinhua contributed to the story.

qinxin@chinadaily.com.cn