New | Four Chinese schoolkids 'bloodied and bruised' after alleged attack by art teacher
Suspect Lei Mingxing is now on the run and being hunted by police, as authorities investigate what triggered such violence
Four primary schoolchildren were severely injured after being assaulted by their art teacher in China’s western Shanxi province on Tuesday.
The teacher, Lei Mingxing, 35, fled the scene and is now on the run after beating the six- to seven-year-olds, according to the Zhenping government.
Two of the children were in hospital for brain contusions, while the other two were being treated for scalp lacerations, according to a news bulletin on the Zhenping county government’s website.
The children – three boys and one girl – said they did not know what caused Lei to hurt them.
The four students, half from Grade One and half from Grade Two, were asked to visit Lei’s office while he was giving an art lesson at 1pm on Tuesday. Afterwards, Lei allegedly attacked the children, although the exact circumstances remained unclear.
Photos circulating on Weibo purportedly taken after the incident showed at least one of the children with what appeared to be blood on his clothes and open wounds on the back of his head.