Suspended death sentence for driver in school attack

A man in Changde, Hunan province, was sentenced to death with two years' reprieve on Monday for committing the crime of using dangerous means to harm public security, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The Changde intermediate people's court also deprived Huang Wen, the defendant, of political rights for life.

On Nov 19 at 7:37 am, Huang ran over primary school students with his car. The car stopped due to mechanical failure, at which point he exited the vehicle and used an object to continue to harm people nearby. His behavior led to the injuries of 30 people, including 18 primary school students, and major losses of public and private property, the court said. He was captured at the scene.

Huang committed the crime to vent personal anger due to investment loss and conflicts with family, according to the court.

Huang chose to harm random and innocent primary school students with despicable and extremely vicious motives, the court said.

He also chose to commit the crime when the students arrived for the day, and there was a concentrated flow of people. His behavior led to the injuries of multiple people, major losses of public and private property, and psychological trauma among the witnesses, so the court decided to give him a harsh sentence, the court said.