6 killed in kindergarten attack in China, suspect detained

A 25-year-old man was suspected of attacking a kindergarten in China's Guangdong province on Monday, killing six people and injuring one, police said.

Media reported the attack in Lianjiang county was a stabbing. The suspect, with the surname Wu and from Lianjiang, had been detained, police said, adding they were investigating.

No other details were immediately available.

Some media reported that both adults and children were among the victims.

While violent crime is rare in China due to strict gun laws and tight security but there have been several incidents of stabbings at pre-schools over the past few years.

In August last year, three people were killed and six wounded in a stabbing at a kindergarten in Jiangxi province.

In 2021, a man killed two children and wounded 16 at a kindergarten in the southwestern region of Guangxi.

The latest news sparked emotive debate on the Weibo social media platform. By 1.50pm (0550 GMT) it was the top-trending discussion, with 290 million views.

Some social media users called for the suspect to face the death penalty.

"It's outrageous to do this to children who have no power at all. How many families will be destroyed by this... I support the death penalty," one Weibo user said.

Another user questioned security at schools, especially after similar previous attacks.

"Why do such cases still continue to emerge?"