Wuxi campus killer Xu Jiajin executed after court approval

Xu Jiajin, who killed eight and injured 17 on a campus in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, in November, was executed on Monday after China's top court had approved his death sentence.

The execution was carried out by the Wuxi Intermediate People's Court in Jiangsu province, where Xu was convicted of intentional murder and given the death penalty.

Xu, 21, met his family before the execution. Wuxi prosecutors supervised the execution process.

The attack took place at around 6:30 pm Nov 16 at the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology, which led to eight deaths and 17 injuries. Xu Jiajin was caught at the scene and confessed to his crime, according to a previous statement released by the public security bureau of Yixing.

According to the police, Xu, a graduate of the school in 2024, returned to vent his anger for not receiving his graduation certificate due to failed exams and for dissatisfaction with his internship pay.

The Wuxi court heard Xu's case and handed down the death penalty on Dec 17.

In China, a death sentence made by lower courts must be submitted to the top court for review. The sentence can only be carried out after it is approved by the top court.

The top court said that Xu's behavior had constituted the crime of intentional killing with severe negative effects on society. It agreed with and upheld the verdicts made by the lower courts.