Continent 'Weapon Rampage' Claims 24 Lives This Month Alone... "Expressing Anger Over Economic Hardships"

At Least 24 Lives Lost This Month Alone
"Life Growing Harder, Suppressed Anger Erupts Rapidly"

Recently, a series of murder cases have occurred in China, with at least 24 people losing their lives just this month. Some analysts suggest that the pent-up anger has erupted due to the harsh living conditions caused by economic stagnation following the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to local media such as Xinjingbao on the 14th, a man in his 20s in Xingxian, Shanxi Province, killed three members of his ex-girlfriend's family after they opposed their relationship. The man then fled in a vehicle, hitting police officers and pedestrians, resulting in a total of seven deaths and 11 injuries.

In the early hours of the 11th, in Donggang, Liaoning Province, a man in his 60s wielded a weapon while roaming the village and attempted to escape by taxi. When the taxi driver refused to give him a ride, he stabbed the driver and pedestrians, killing 11 people and injuring two. It is reported that the perpetrator held a grudge because the village secretary had allocated farmland usage rights favoring his relatives.

Earlier, on the 1st of this month, in Dingshang County, Shanxi Province, a man in his 30s killed three members of the village chief's family and fled but was later arrested. The man, who had served two years in prison and was recently released, claimed that the village chief, with whom he had conflicts over land and fund distribution, had falsely accused him, leading to his wrongful imprisonment.

Some attribute the rise in violent crimes in China to economic difficulties. It is said that over the past three years, the spread of COVID-19 and strict quarantine measures have caused significant economic damage, and those feeling social deprivation due to the widening wealth gap have expressed their anger.

In fact, migrant workers who could not work due to COVID-19 spread and lockdowns have returned home en masse, and small business owners have also faced widespread bankruptcies. However, China has never provided nationwide livelihood subsidies.

About a decade ago, social dissatisfaction due to the widening wealth gap also exploded in China, leading to frequent 'random killings,' which became a social problem.

Since President Xi Jinping took office, China has promoted "common prosperity (共同富裕, a society where everyone lives well)" focusing on redistribution to address wealth disparity. However, after the COVID-19 outbreak, the emphasis shifted to economic recovery, leading to criticism that the momentum for pursuing common prosperity has weakened.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.