A Chinese man has been sentenced to death for plowing his car into a crowd at a sports center in southern China, killing 35 people. Fan Weiqiu, 62, targeted the outdoor venue in Zhuhai city with his small off-road vehicle, which was driven by rage over a failed marriage and divorce settlement. The attack occurred on November 11 and is the country’s deadliest known act of violence against civilians since 2014.
The incident has raised concerns about a surge of sudden episodes of violence targeting random members of the public in recent months, coinciding with China’s economic slowdown. Authorities have been investigating such incidents, which have left many unnerved given low violent crime rates and ubiquitous surveillance in the country.
Fan was found guilty by the Zhuhai Intermediate People’s Court on Friday after pleading guilty earlier in the day. The court described his actions as “despicable” and “brutal,” citing a particularly cruel method of execution. Chinese leader Xi Jinping had previously called for severe punishment, following Fan’s attack which remains the deadliest such incident since 2014.
This sentence comes amidst another recent case where a man was handed down a suspended death sentence for ramming his car into crowds outside a primary school in Hunan province, injuring 30 people, including 18 students.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/27/china/man-plowed-car-china-death-sentence-intl-hnk/index.html