Man who killed kids despondent about life

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-11-7  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE man who killed five people when he drove a truck into a crowd inside a high school in southern China wanted to die because of family and work problems, police said yesterday.

The man was shot and killed by officers at the scene on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, surviving students at the school where the attack occurred are receiving psychological counseling for emotional trauma.

The man, surnamed Luo, left a letter with his parents and wife on October 22, saying he did not want to live anymore because of an unhappy family life and work trouble, according to the police bureau in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.

His wife had left Luo, a self-employed truck driver, in August and sought a divorce, neighbors told police. They said Luo had been withdrawn ever since.

Unable to make a living with his truck in recent months, Luo bought an unlicensed motorcycle and planned to operate a taxi service with it. But the vehicle and his license were confiscated by police on October 22.

After a final, fruitless attempt to get the motorcycle and license back on Wednesday, he told his friend, a man surnamed Zeng, that he wanted to ram people with the truck.

Luo broke away as Zeng tried to dissuade him, and Zeng contacted police at about 4:30pm, 15 minutes before the incident.

His warning came too late. Luo drove the truck at high speed into a crowd of students who were leaving school as classes ended, killing four teenagers and one adult and injuring more than 20.

One of the injured died early yesterday at a hospital while undergoing treatment. Two seriously injured students were in stable condition, doctors said.

Zhuhai's Chendong High School canceled all classes yesterday.

Zhang Jing, 14, who witnessed the event, said she was too scared to sleep.

The government of Zhuhai reported that it sent 28 psychological experts to hospitals and the school to help students and teachers.