BEIJING (China): A suspect has been arrested in the stabbing of four American instructors from a US college in a public park in the city of Jilin in northeastern China, reported CNN.
The authorities have identified the stabbing suspect by his last name, Cui, who was described as a 55-year-old man from the city’s Longtan District.
Police said the accused “collided with a foreigner while walking” in Beishan Park, a popular green space in the city centre, according to CNN.
The suspect then stabbed the instructors and a Chinese visitor who came forward to try to stop him during the event, the police added.
Officers were sent to the site and the injured were taken to the hospital for treatment, according to the police, who claimed they received the report at approximately 11:49 am local time on Monday.
The educators from Cornell College, a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, were wounded “in a serious incident” on Monday, while participating in a partnership program with Beihua University in Jilin, according to the CNN.
“We have been in contact with all four instructors and are assisting them during this time,” Cornell College President Jonathan Brand said in a statement, adding no students took part in the program.
The US State Department is aware of reports of a stabbing incident in China and is monitoring the situation. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said he is in touch with Iowa’s federal delegation and the state department.
“I am in touch with Iowa’s federal delegation and the state department in response to this horrifying attack. Please pray for their full recovery, safe return, and their families here at home,” he said.
New York Times cited a video posted on Chinese social media, purportedly taken after the attack, which showed three people lying on the ground, surrounded by onlookers. One was soaked in blood, while another appeared to be using his hand to apply pressure to his wound. All three were using their cell phones.
Cornell College is a private four-year school where the enrolment for the 2022-2023 academic year was 1,074 students and the student-to-faculty ratio was 13:1.
The top majors at the school that year were biochemistry, kinesiology, engineering, computer science, and politics. The college’s academic calendar is divided into 18-day blocks where students take one course at a time.
China and the United States have recently sought to bolster their educational ties to help stabilize their tense relationship. Last November, China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, announced a plan to invite 50,000 young Americans to participate in exchange and study programs over a period of five years. (ANI)