1 dead, 12 injured in knife attack at downtown Beijing mall

Suspect of bloody incident at Joy City Mall is in custody

A knife attack at a crowded mall in downtown Beijing’s Xidan shopping district left one dead and twelve injured early Sunday afternoon.

Police swiftly apprehended the suspect, identified as a 35-year-old Henan man surnamed Zhu, who confessed to the crime and is now in custody. A statement posted to the Beijing public security bureau’s official Weibo account cited “venting personal discontent” as Zhu’s apparent motive.

All those hospitalized for injuries suffered during the attack are now reportedly in stable condition.

Surveillance video of the incident shows the assailant wielding a knife in a restaurant as nearby customers attempt to slow him down by throwing chairs at him.

Footage of the assault’s immediate aftermath quickly surfaced on social media, featuring scenes of panicked shoppers fleeing for the exit past what appears to be a trail of blood and of emergency responders frantically rushing wounded victims to ambulances outside.

The attack comes just days before Chinese New Year, as Beijing ramps up its security presence at major transport hubs in anticipation of the holiday.

[Images via Channel News Asia / Twitter]