Execution of Yixing Knife Attack Perpetrator Following Fatal Assault at Vocational School

Xu Jiajin, who executed a devastating knife assault that resulted in the deaths of eight individuals and injuries to 17 others at a vocational school in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, was put to death on Monday. According to the Xinhua News Agency, the execution was carried out by the Wuxi Intermediate People's Court following the criminal ruling and order from the Supreme People's Court. Legal protocols were followed, with officers from the Wuxi People's Procuratorate overseeing the execution process, while Xu was granted a final meeting with his close relatives.

On December 17, 2024, the Wuxi Intermediate People’s Court had sentenced Xu to death for intentional homicide, in addition to permanently revoking his political rights. He accepted the sentence, which was then reviewed by the Jiangsu High People’s Court before being submitted to the Supreme People's Court for final approval. Upon examination, the Supreme People's Court determined that Xu's actions were premeditated and characterized by particularly severe circumstances, justifying the death penalty as the appropriate punishment for his grave offenses.

The tragic incident occurred on November 16, 2024, at the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology, where 21-year-old Xu, who had just graduated in 2024, launched the attack. He reportedly returned to the institution driven by anger over his inability to receive a graduation certificate due to failing exams and displeasure with his internship compensation, leading to this horrific act.