A tragic knife attack at an educational institution in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, eastern China, resulted in the death of eight individuals and left 17 others injured. This incident, which occurred on Saturday evening, adds to a series of violent occurrences that have marred the week. The Yixing Public Security Bureau is leading the investigation, with a focus on understanding the motivations behind the attack and ensuring that the injured receive the necessary medical care.
The suspect, a 21-year-old former student identified only by his surname, Xu, was arrested at the scene. Xu, who previously attended the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology, is believed to have acted out of frustration, according to police reports. His frustrations were reportedly due to academic failures and dissatisfaction with his internship pay, which allegedly triggered his violent outburst. Authorities have stated that Xu openly admitted to the attack, acknowledging his actions and the reasons behind them.
A video allegedly showing the aftermath of the attack briefly circulated online, showing victims on the ground with visible injuries. However, discussions about the incident were quickly suppressed on Weibo, China’s leading social media platform, as censorship measures rapidly came into effect, removing the topic from trending lists.
The public response on social media was immediate, with users expressing shock and questioning the decision to censor information. One user echoed the widespread sentiment about the handling of such incidents, stating, “Suppressing the trending topic won’t change the tragedy.”
This attack is part of a worrying trend of violence in China, coinciding with socioeconomic pressures. The Ministry of Education recently projected a record 12.22 million university graduates in 2025, against a backdrop of a challenging job market. Youth unemployment has been a significant concern, peaking at 21.3% in 2023, leading authorities to revise their statistical methods.
Earlier in the week, China experienced its deadliest mass killing in nearly a decade when a 62-year-old man drove a car into a crowd in Zhuhai, killing 35 people and injuring 43 others. This incident, along with other recent attacks in major cities, has ignited discussions about the mental health and societal pressures faced by individuals in the world’s second-largest economy.
In recent months, other violent incidents have occurred, including a knife attack in Shanghai and the tragic stabbing of a young Japanese boy in Shenzhen, highlighting a concerning trend of public safety concerns.