Fan’s attack, driven by anger over his failed marriage and an unfair divorce settlement, left dozens injured. Officers intercepted him attempting to self-harm in his car before his arrest.
Fan Weiqiu, 62, was executed just over three weeks after being sentenced to death for killing 35 people by driving his car into crowds at the Zhuhai Sports Centre on 11 November.
Fan’s attack, driven by anger over his failed marriage and an unfair divorce settlement, left dozens injured. Officers intercepted him attempting to self-harm in his car before his arrest.
“The motives were extremely vile, the nature of his crime extremely heinous, the method particularly cruel, and the consequences particularly severe, posing great harm to society,” the court said during sentencing.
Separately, Xu Jiajin, 21, was executed for stabbing eight people to death on a vocational college campus in Wuxi.
Police stated his actions were motivated by exam failure, lack of a graduation certificate, and dissatisfaction with internship pay.
Both executions drew widespread support on Chinese social media. On Weibo, one user commented, “How very satisfying!” echoing sentiments across the platform.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping previously called the Zhuhai attack “extremely vicious” and demanded severe punishment.
China’s opaque execution figures remain controversial, with Amnesty International describing the country as “the world’s top executioner”.
