Shanghai knife attack kills three, wounds 15 others

On September 30, a knife attack at a supermarket in Shanghai resulted in three deaths and 15 injuries, continuing a string of stabbing incidents in China during 2024. According to state-run Xinhua news agency, the victims were quickly taken to the hospital, but three did not survive. The other 15 suffered non-life-threatening injuries, as reported by AFP.

The attacker, a 37-year-old man named Lin, was arrested shortly after the incident, which occurred around 9:47 p.m. Police indicated that the rampage was triggered by Lin’s anger over a "personal financial dispute." An investigation is ongoing.

China has seen an increase in public stabbing incidents, often attributed to mental health issues. Schools are frequently targeted. In September, a 10-year-old Japanese student was fatally stabbed near his school in Shenzhen, and in June, two Japanese nationals were attacked in Suzhou, raising concerns about the safety of the Japanese community in China.

While stabbings in Shanghai are rare, they are not unheard of. In 2022, a man wounded 15 people in a stabbing spree at a hospital, reportedly due to resentment after a failed investment. He was sentenced to death the following year.