On the evening of November 11th, a 62-year-old man named Fan drove an off-road vehicle into a crowd on the running track of the Zhuhai Sports Center, resulting in at least 35 deaths and 43 injuries. The police stated that Fan’s motive for the crime was dissatisfaction with the outcome of property division following his divorce. However, the public has raised doubts about the police’s explanation.
On November 12th, the Zhuhai Public Security Bureau released a police report stating that at around 19:48 on the 11th, a major malicious incident occurred inside the Zhuhai Sports Center, where a criminal suspect drove a vehicle to ram citizens who were exercising, leading to 35 deaths after rescue efforts failed and 43 injuries requiring hospitalization (with no one in life-threatening condition). The 62-year-old suspect Fan was apprehended on the spot.
According to the report, on the day of the incident, Fan forcefully entered the Zhuhai Sports Center by driving a small off-road vehicle through the barrier and rammed into citizens exercising on the internal roads of the sports center. He attempted to flee in the vehicle but was immediately stopped by the police who arrived at the scene.
Police officers found Fan injuring himself with a knife in the car, intervened to stop him, and sent him to the hospital for treatment. Fan fell into a coma after seriously injuring his neck and other body parts from the self-inflicted wounds, and is currently under medical care, making him temporarily unavailable for police questioning.
Currently, the police have initiated an investigation into Fan for the suspected crime of endangering public safety by dangerous means and have placed him under criminal detention.
Regarding Fan’s motive for the crime, the police provided a rare swift response without interrogating the suspect. They stated that based on preliminary investigations, the incident was triggered by Fan’s dissatisfaction with the division of property following his divorce.
However, many netizens have criticized the police’s statements: “How can you know the reason when the suspect is still in a coma?” “You know the motive while the perpetrator is unconscious? Are you Yama or the Black and White Impermanence?” “Speak responsibly, have you investigated the reasons first?”
“Reflect on why such incidents occur.” “Major malicious events are not inherent; there must be underlying reasons for strict scrutiny.” “Similar incidents will become common in the future because a single spark can drive people insane due to the current societal injustices.” “Behind every malicious case, there are definitely reasons, they must be investigated, reflected upon, experts, scholars, public opinion surveys show heavy societal grievances, with recurring bullying issues, everyone has a responsibility in case of problems.”
“Take advantage of the Zhuhai Airshow these days, foreign tourists come to visit, and trouble is stirred up.” “This angle of the problem should be considered.”
It is worth noting that this incident occurred on the eve of the China (Zhuhai) International Air Show (November 12 to 17).
Currently, the Chinese authorities are tightly controlling the dissemination of related videos on the internet. Topics related to the “Zhuhai Sports Center” have been blocked on various platforms, and videos and images have been urgently removed.
Mr. Gu, a current affairs commentator from Guangdong, expressed to Radio Free Asia that the current economic environment is facing various pressures, particularly social and psychological stress related to unemployment are becoming increasingly apparent.
He said, “Given the economic downturn, people’s emotions are extremely volatile, and there is a heavy atmosphere of resentment, which is probably a significant factor in these incidents. Such events seem to be on the rise, indicating significant societal issues. The lower-class mob seeks revenge on society as long as they can, regardless of officials or civilians, without considering who caused all this.”