A Chinese court has sentenced a man, Huang Wen, to a suspended death penalty after he rammed his car into a crowd outside a primary school in Changde City, central China, injuring over 30 people, including 18 children.
The incident, which occurred on November 19, 2024, marked the third such attack on a crowd in the country within a week.
Huang’s sentence, handed down on Monday, could be commuted to life imprisonment if he refrains from committing further crimes within the next two years.
The ruling has sparked outrage on Chinese social media platforms, with many criticizing the court for what they perceive as leniency.
The court revealed that Huang carried out the attack as an act of vengeance, citing frustrations stemming from personal financial losses and family conflicts.
Videos shared on social media shortly after the incident showed scenes of chaos, with children lying injured on the ground, others fleeing in panic, and an angry pedestrian attempting to stop Huang by hitting his car with a snow shovel.
The court described the attack as involving “extremely severe criminal circumstances.”
In addition to the suspended death penalty, Huang was stripped of his political rights for life.
Some users on Weibo, a popular social media platform, described the punishment as insufficient, arguing that the severity of the crime warranted a stricter sentence.
“Why does he deserve a suspension?” one user asked. Another commented, “Such vicious cases need to be dealt with seriously and swiftly for deterrence.”
The attack in Changde City is part of a troubling pattern of violent incidents in China.
Just days earlier, a man reportedly dissatisfied with his divorce settlement drove his car into a crowd in Zhuhai, killing 35 people.
Observers have linked these attacks to growing frustrations among some Chinese citizens over personal and economic pressures.
Analysts suggest that these acts of violence reflect a broader societal issue, where individuals channel their grievances into acts of vengeance against society.
