In the wake of yet another mass killing earlier this year, a social media user wrote: “The Chinese people are so miserable,” adding a chilling warning about the likelihood of more copycat attacks. Another post described the tragedy as a reflection of “the darkness within society.” These grim sentiments mirror a growing sense of unease as a wave of deadly violence sweeps across China in 2024, prompting urgent questions about the forces driving people to commit mass attacks on strangers as an act of societal revenge.
Despite China’s vast population, such incidents have historically been rare. However, this year has seen a sharp and alarming rise. Experts like David Schak, an associate professor at Griffith University in Australia, note that these attacks often occur in waves, with some seemingly inspired by earlier events. From 2019 to 2023, authorities recorded between three and five cases annually, but in 2024 that figure has surged to 19. The number of victims has also escalated dramatically, with 63 people killed and 166 injured this year alone—staggering figures compared to previous years.
November was particularly devastating. A 62-year-old man drove into a crowd exercising outside a stadium in Zhuhai, killing at least 35. His motive, according to authorities, was anger over a divorce settlement. Days later, in Changde city, another man rammed his car into a crowd of children and parents outside a primary school, injuring 30. He was reportedly struggling with financial losses and family problems. That same week, a 21-year-old university student in Wuxi, unable to graduate after failing exams, launched a stabbing spree on his campus, leaving eight dead and 17 injured.
The violence has not been limited to these incidents. Earlier in the year, a man stormed through a Shanghai shopping center, stabbing random people. Another targeted four American instructors in a park, and there were separate attacks on Japanese citizens, including the fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old boy outside his school.
Most of the attackers targeted strangers, seemingly as an outlet for deep frustration and a desire to express their dissatisfaction with society. In a country known for its extensive surveillance systems and general sense of safety where women often walk alone at night without hesitation, these attacks have sown fear and uncertainty.
Economic Pressures and Social Fractures
The rise in such violence coincides with a period of significant economic strain in China. The nation has been grappling with high youth unemployment, soaring debt, and a real estate crisis that has drained the life savings of many families. Across major cities, unfinished housing estates stand as stark symbols of this financial turmoil, with some people forced to live in incomplete, windowless apartments without basic utilities.
As 2024 draws to a close, the surge in mass attacks reveals a society under immense pressure, where personal grievances are boiling over into public acts of violence. These tragedies expose the fractures within a nation struggling to cope with its economic and social challenges.
