Man kills 8 schoolchildren in China knife attack

Beijing:  A man carried out a knife attack at a Chinese elementary school, killing at least eight children on their first day of class, officials said on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old man, whose last name is Yu, launched the attack at Chaoyangpo grade school in Enshi city of China's Hubei province on Monday, the police said in a statement.

Two children were also injured in the attack, the Global Times reported, citing the police.

The suspect, a local resident, was taken into custody immediately after the attack. He is an ex-convict who spent over eight years in jail for attempting to gouge out his girlfriend's eye, according to the report. He was released in May 2018.

There were claims that the killer carried out the attack as revenge on society.

The incident sparked public outrage as Monday marked the start of classes for grade school students. Many netizens urged the schools to strengthen security.

In April 2018, nine middle schoolchildren were murdered allegedly by a former student who took revenge on the school because he was bullied there.