Recently, in Hebei, a 13-year-old middle school student was suspected to have been killed by three classmates, sparking mainland China’s concern over juvenile crime. According to Chinese media outlet “Cover News” on the 18th, news of a “16-year-old teenager killed by a peer at Hubei Xianning Railway Station” spread across multiple social media platforms that day. Several classmates of the deceased, known as Xiaoshuai, stated that he had just turned 16 when he was killed that day after being invited by a friend to help mediate a dispute. The suspected perpetrators, approximately the same age as the deceased, even posted a photo of themselves with tattoos on social media, accompanied by the words “ten years”.
According to reports, Xiaoshuai’s classmates said, “That evening, a classmate invited him (Xiaoshuai) to help mediate a matter with another friend. As a result, the other party pulled out a knife and slashed his face. When the two struggled, the other party stabbed him and then fled.” Someone at the scene called emergency services at 120, but Xiaoshuai ultimately could not be saved.
The report mentioned that after the suspected perpetrators fled the scene, they posted a photo of themselves shirtless with tattoos on their chest on social media, accompanied by the words “ten years”. They later pinned a comment saying, “Ten years of youth gone, regret is useless.” Under this dynamic message, many netizens commented, refuting, “You lost ten years, but someone else lost a life.” Many comments from suspected friends urged, “You need to change your temper,” “We’ve advised you so many times, but you never listened. We told you not to get into trouble.”
Xiaoshuai’s social media account only had two posts, and many suspected friends left comments. Among these comments, many people said he was good at basketball, “I met him yesterday, and he said he would treat me to water,” “I saw him on the street yesterday and greeted him,” “A few days ago, he reminded me to study hard for the college entrance exam, or else he would come and beat me.”
Xiaoshuai’s aunt said that her nephew was usually well-behaved and sensible, very likable. “I just received the news and came back. I just arrived at the funeral home, and the specific situation is still unclear. His parents are in very poor emotional condition and cannot speak. We hope the perpetrators will be punished according to the law.”
“Cover News” attempted to contact the Xianning Public Security Bureau and the Propaganda Department but did not receive any response. Currently, both social media accounts have been emptied of content.