Zhuhai Sports Centre Car Ramming Attack

Zhuhai, China · 2024

solved Mass murder / spree November 11, 2024

Perpetrator

Fan Weiqiu

Fan Weiqiu was a 62-year-old man from Zhuhai. Authorities stated he carried out the attack out of anger over the division of property following his divorce. He was apprehended at the scene with self-inflicted knife wounds to his neck and was found in a comatose state. Chinese courts sentenced him to death, and he was executed in January 2025.

Known Victims

At least 35 total

Location

Zhuhai Sports Centre, Zhuhai, China

Summary

A man drove a car into crowds exercising at the Zhuhai Sports Centre, killing 35 people and injuring 43 in China's deadliest attack of its kind in years.

Details

On the evening of 11 November 2024, Fan Weiqiu, 62, drove a small SUV into people walking and exercising at the outdoor track of the Zhuhai Sports Centre in Guangdong province. The attack killed 35 people and injured 43 others. Police said Fan acted out of dissatisfaction over the division of property in his divorce. He was detained at the scene with self-inflicted knife wounds. The incident, one of China's deadliest in recent years, prompted nationwide orders to address social grievances. Fan was sentenced to death and executed in January 2025.

Overview

On the evening of 11 November 2024, a man drove a sport utility vehicle into crowds of people exercising at the Zhuhai Sports Centre in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China. The attack killed dozens of people and injured many more, making it one of the deadliest mass-casualty attacks in China in years. The perpetrator, identified by authorities as Fan Weiqiu, a 62-year-old divorced man, was apprehended at the scene after attempting to harm himself. He was later convicted and executed.

The incident drew significant attention both within China and internationally, in part because of the high death toll and in part because of the heavily controlled flow of official information in the immediate aftermath. It came amid a period of several apparently unconnected violent attacks against members of the public in China during late 2024.

The Attack

The attack occurred at approximately 19:48 local time on 11 November 2024 at the Zhuhai Sports Centre. According to Chinese authorities, Fan Weiqiu drove an off-road SUV onto an exercise and running track where a large number of people, many of them middle-aged or elderly, were taking part in evening physical activity. The vehicle struck numerous people before the driver was stopped.

Official accounts stated that Fan was found in the vehicle with self-inflicted knife wounds to his neck and was taken to hospital in an unconscious state. He was detained at the scene. The vehicle used in the attack was reported to be a recently acquired SUV. The setting, a public sports facility used by organized exercise groups, contributed to the large number of casualties.

Casualties

Chinese authorities and state media reported that the attack resulted in a large number of deaths and injuries. Initial figures circulated in early reporting indicated 35 people killed and 43 injured. Figures released later, in December 2024, were higher, citing 38 deaths and a larger number of injured. The exact final toll has been reported with some variation across sources.

Many of those killed and injured were described as ordinary residents who had gathered at the sports centre for routine evening exercise. The scale of the casualties made the attack the deadliest of its kind in China in roughly a decade, drawing comparisons in news coverage to earlier mass-casualty incidents in the country.

Motive and Investigation

According to statements from Chinese authorities, the investigation concluded that Fan Weiqiu's actions were driven by personal grievances. Officials cited dissatisfaction stemming from the breakdown of his marriage and, in particular, his unhappiness with the division of marital property following his divorce. There was no indication from authorities of a political or organized terrorist motive; the case was characterized as the act of an individual venting personal anger.

Reporting at the time noted that information about the attack was tightly managed in the hours immediately following the incident, with online discussion and some content restricted. This censorship prompted criticism on Chinese social media and was widely commented upon in international coverage.

Trial and Execution

The legal process moved quickly. On 27 December 2024, the Zhuhai Intermediate People's Court tried Fan Weiqiu and convicted him of endangering public safety by dangerous means. The court sentenced him to death. Chinese state media reported that the court found the consequences of his actions to be especially severe and the circumstances particularly egregious.

Fan Weiqiu was executed on 20 January 2025. His execution was reported by Chinese state media and covered internationally. In some reporting, his case was noted alongside other death sentences and executions handed down in China around the same period for separate violent attacks.

Context and Aftermath

The Zhuhai attack occurred during a stretch of late 2024 marked by several high-profile violent incidents in China targeting members of the public, which together prompted public discussion about social pressures and individual grievances sometimes described in Chinese commentary as acts of retaliation against society. Following the attack, authorities in some areas were reported to have increased attention to identifying individuals deemed at risk of similar behavior.

Official messaging emphasized swift punishment and public safety. The combination of the high death toll, the rapid judicial process, and the tight control of information made the case a widely cited example in discussions of public safety and the handling of mass-casualty events in China.

Video Coverage

Frequently asked questions

What was the Zhuhai Sports Centre Car Ramming Attack case?

A man drove a car into crowds exercising at the Zhuhai Sports Centre, killing 35 people and injuring 43 in China's deadliest attack of its kind in years.

Who was responsible for Zhuhai Sports Centre Car Ramming Attack?

Fan Weiqiu. Fan Weiqiu was a 62-year-old man from Zhuhai. Authorities stated he carried out the attack out of anger over the division of property following his divorce. He was apprehended at the scene with self-inflicted knife wounds to his neck and was found in a comatose state. Chinese courts sentenced him to death, and he was executed in January 2025.

How many victims were there in the Zhuhai Sports Centre Car Ramming Attack case?

At least 35 victims are associated with this case.

Where and when did the Zhuhai Sports Centre Car Ramming Attack case take place?

It took place in Zhuhai, China in 2024.

Was the Zhuhai Sports Centre Car Ramming Attack case solved?

This case is recorded as solved.

Sources & further reading

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