Jan. 8 (UPI) — Twenty children were injured in a hammer attack at an elementary school in Beijing, according to local government agencies.
The suspect is likely a man hired to do maintenance work at the Affiliated Elementary School of Xuanwu Normal School in Beijing. The suspect launched attacks in the hallways of the school, striking students’ heads with an object that resembled a hammer, Japan’s Kyodo News reported Tuesday.
The Xicheng district of Beijing confirmed the attack on Chinese social media platform Weibo, and said the attacks began at 11:17 a.m. on school grounds.
Of the 20 injured children, three suffered from “serious injuries.” None of the injuries is life threatening and all victims are convalescing at a local hospital, officials said.
The suspect was arrested at the school and is being investigated by authorities. Previous assailants who went on similar attack sprees in China and incurred casualties have been sentenced to death.
China has witnessed a spike in school-related attacks, involving knives and hammers, but not guns.
In November, state media reported an accident in front of an elementary school in northeastern Liaoning province. A driver rammed his car into a group of children, killing five and injuring 19.
Xinhua reported the man was considering suicide because of fights with his wife.
Security has heightened around schools in China following similar incidents in other cities.
