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Five people, including four US college professors, were stabbed on June 10 in a public park in northeast China’s Jilin province, US media and government officials reported. In the evening, Chinese police announced the arrest of the “main suspect” in the knife attack, which took place in Beishan Park in the city of Jilin, in the northeastern province of the same name. “The suspect, named Cui Dapeng, has been arrested,” said a local police statement, adding that the man – of whom a photo had also been released – is 55 years old.
The educators involved, US faculty from Cornell College, a small university in Iowa, were visiting a partner university in China when the attack occurred, CNN said. The group was visiting a temple in Beishan Park when they were attacked by a man armed with a knife. At the moment, the motive for the attack is unknown.
“We are working through the appropriate channels and ask that you speak to the US Embassy about appropriate ways to ensure that victims first receive quality care and then leave China in a medically sound manner,” the congressional representative wrote on of Iowa Mariannette Miller-Meeks. The governor of Iowa Kim Reynolds announced on X that he was in contact with the US State Department regarding the “horrific” attack.
Iowa Congressman Adam Zabner told Reuters that his brother was one of the victims. “My brother, David Zabner, was injured in the arm during a stabbing attack while visiting a temple in Jilin City, China,” he explained.
The assault was caught on video but censored by Chinese social media
A video of people lying on the ground in a park and covered in blood circulated on X on Monday, June 10, although no trace of the images could be found on Chinese social media. Reuters was able to identify the location based on Chinese characters written on a wall, the structure of the wall and the layout of the path. Reuters was unable to confirm when the video was taken.
