Four instructors from Iowa’s Cornell College were injured in a stabbing attack on Monday in Jilin, a city in northeast China. The U.S. teachers were part of a program at Beihua University and were attacked while visiting a public park. The assailant, a 55-year-old man named Cui, was arrested by Chinese police.
The incident, which occurred in Beishan Park, also injured a Chinese person who attempted to intervene. Jilin city police reported that the attack began when Cui bumped into one of the foreigners and proceeded to stab him and the others in the group. The four U.S. instructors were not in life-threatening condition, according to Chinese authorities.
David Zabner, one of the injured teachers described hearing a scream while descending a mountain, turning to see a man with a knife, and realizing he had been stabbed after noticing blood on his shoulder. Zabner, a graduate student at Tufts University, was in China under the Cornell-Beihua exchange program.
BREAKING: Four instructors affiliated with Iowa’s Cornell College were injured in “a serious incident” while at a park in China, the college said. https://t.co/QrZVIypqQM pic.twitter.com/OitXFHBy4j
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) June 10, 2024
The U.S. State Department confirmed awareness of the stabbing and stated it was in contact with local authorities, closely monitoring the investigation. Iowa officials, including Governor Kim Reynolds, expressed their commitment to assisting in bringing the injured teachers home.
Cornell College President Jonathan Brand confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the college is in contact with the injured faculty members and is aiding them. The college’s partnership with Beihua University involves Cornell professors teaching courses in China over a two-week period.
Chinese state media reported the arrest of the suspect and described the attack as an isolated incident, with ongoing investigations. Nicholas Burns, the U.S. Ambassador to China, expressed his concern and stated that efforts were being made to ensure the full and speedy recovery of the injured.
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