Seven people were wounded, some critically, in an attack in eastern China on Saturday night that police said was aimed at revenge at the alleged attacker’s former wife. Police said that during the attack in downtown Nanjing, Jiangsu province, a 41-year-old suspect rammed his former wife, her friend and a pedestrian with a rented car at about 9pm. He then stabbed the woman’s friend and passers-by who tried to stop him, police said. Officers said the suspect fled the scene and later detained after attempting suicide. Seven victims and the suspect were hospitalised. The former wife was in intensive care, while her friend and the five others were in conditions ranging from critical to severe. None of the wounds were life-threatening, police said. Footage of the attack soon circulated on Chinese social media, prompting concerns about the motive of the attacker. Two hours after the suspect was detained, Nanjing police tried to ease those concerns with a bulletin posted online thanking the public for their prompt help that allowed the authorities to respond immediately to the incident. “This is a case of [attempted] intentional homicide caused by a personal relationship conflict,” Li Mingjie, from the Nanjing Municipal Public Security Bureau, said on Sunday. This is the second bloody “revenge” attack in a week on the mainland. Just last weekend, five people were killed when a 32-year-old suspect drove his car at high speed into a crowd of pedestrians in the city of Dalian in northern Liaoning province after feeling unhappy because of a failed investment. And in April, just one day after President Xi Jinping wrapped up a three-day trip to the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, a 25-year-old man stabbed pupils and teachers at a kindergarten in Beiliu, killing two and wounding 16. State-run China Central Television said the suspect was going through a divorce and his wife worked at the school. If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255.
