SW News: A stabbing spree in a kindergarten on Monday, July 10, has claimed the lives of six people, including 3 children, in China's southern Guangdong province. Police have detained a 25-year-old man with the last name Wu in Lianjiang. Two parents and a teacher were the other victims. One person was also hurt. The police have described this as an instance of "intentional assault" but have not provided any other information regarding a potential motive.

The attack took place as parents were dropping off their kids at a summer camp. The area around the kindergarten has been cordoned off. A little more than 1.87 million people live in Lianjiang. Footage of the incident on Chinese social media sparked outrage and astonishment.

Though China forbids the use of firearms, there have been several knife assaults in recent years. On one occasion, the assailant also injured a class of 50 children with chemical spray.

The BBC has reported at least 17 knife attacks in schools, colleges, and universities since 2010. Ten incidents happened between 2018 and 2023.
The accused in the majority of these incidents are men and have shown animosity towards society. Similar trends have been observed in mass murders in other nations, including the US and Japan. However, analysts speculate that there may be some other factors at play in China's apparent rise in mass stabbings.

They surmise that one factor might be the Covid-19 outbreak, which resulted in perhaps one of the world's longest and strictest lockdowns in Chinese cities. Although the consequences are not fully known yet, they may include sentiments of rage and hatred as well as the termination of relationships, investments, and jobs.

The high levels of stress and expectations placed on young men in Chinese society are mentioned as additional potential contributing factors. High rates of youth unemployment and a growing rich-poor gap are making these issues worse. According to an expert, some people who have a strong feeling of "social deprivation" may resort to violence as a way to express their displeasure with society.

Since 2010, Chinese authorities have increased security in and around schools. To safeguard the safety of instructors and pupils, the Ministry of Public Security had asked local authorities to "resolutely crack down" on criminal activity that year. Beijing is also withholding certain facts about Monday's incident at the kindergarten due to concerns about copycat strikes.