Never turn a private grievance into an attack on uninvolved people
Driving into a crowd or other attacks endangering public safety can carry three to ten years even without serious consequences. Serious injury, death, or major property loss can bring at least ten years, life imprisonment, or death. In Zhuhai, Fan Weiqiu drove into people exercising at a sports center, killing 35 and injuring 43. He was sentenced to death and executed.
What it takes
No payment is needed. The difficult task is interrupting the impulse while angry.
What you may gain
Criminal Law Article 114 covers arson, flooding, explosions, release of dangerous substances, and other dangerous methods endangering public safety without serious consequences, with a three-to-ten-year sentencing range. Article 115 provides at least ten years, life imprisonment, or death where serious injury, death, or major property loss results. In the official Zhuhai case, Fan Weiqiu was distressed over marital breakdown and dissatisfied with divorce property division, and decided to vent his anger by driving into a crowd. On 11 November 2024 he drove into people exercising at Zhuhai Sports Center, killing 35 and injuring 43. He was convicted of endangering public safety by dangerous means, sentenced to death, and deprived of political rights for life. Following Supreme People’s Court approval, he was executed on 20 January 2025. The people struck were strangers out exercising.
Context & considerations
“I do not want to live anyway” does not itself earn leniency. The Supreme People’s Court’s 2025 report describes severe, prompt lawful punishment for exceptionally serious offenses crossing fundamental legal and moral boundaries. Threats can already be unlawful: threatening arson, explosion, poisoning, or similar public danger and disrupting public order can bring five to ten days’ detention and an optional fine up to RMB 1,000. Threatening someone’s personal safety by letter or other means can bring up to five days’ detention or a fine up to RMB 1,000 under the law effective 1 January 2026. If your thoughts have reached this point, use the immediate safety steps in the next entry.
Research & references
National People’s Congress (1997). Criminal Law, Articles 114 and 115. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/201802/t20180206_364975.shtml; Xinhua (2024). Zhuhai vehicle attack leaves 35 dead and 43 injured, reporting the police statement. http://www.news.cn/20241112/29c6af4f6ee4455b92832f3c2b13a93a/c.html; Supreme People’s Procuratorate (2024). First-instance judgment in Fan Weiqiu’s public-safety case. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/zdgz/202412/t20241227_677757.shtml; Supreme People’s Procuratorate (2025). Execution in the Zhuhai vehicle-attack case. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/zdgz/202501/t20250120_680196.shtml; Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (2025). Revised Public Security Administration Punishments Law, Articles 29 and 50. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202506/t20250627_699863.shtml.