Five preschool children died in front of a school – this terrible news story of a drama in China, first described as a “big traffic accident”, had gone around the world on Thursday. On Friday the sad certainty: The 29-year-old driver deliberately steered his car into the children’s group, as his thoughts were suicidal, with a past attempt.
The man may have committed the horror act because of conflicts with his wife, official reported on Friday. The unemployed from Liaoning Province had been thinking about suicide, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. Instead, he steered his car into the children’s group on Thursday.
The man chose his victims “accidentally”, the report said. He killed five children near a primary school in Huludao City who were about to cross the street, wounding another 16 children and two teachers and a pedestrian. The 29-year-old was arrested immediately after the crime. However, it was unclear whether it was an intention or an accident.
Attacks on children are not uncommon in China. In April, a man armed with a knife killed nine children in a school north of the People’s Republic and injured about ten others. The perpetrator called bullying during his own school as a motive.
The number of violent crimes in the People’s Republic, where the gap between rich and poor has increased significantly, has been on the rise for years. In addition, studies suggest that mental disorders are increasing in China’s population. At the beginning of November, 13 bus passengers were killed when their bus crashed over a bridge because of a clash between the driver and a passenger.
