Photo taken on July 29, 2013 by mobile phone shows the scene of a knife attack in Luohu District of Shenzhen City, South China's Guangdong Province. Three people died and another five were injured in a knife attack that occurred Monday in the city of Shenzhen. Police received a call at 9:45 am Monday saying that a man was randomly attacking passersby with a knife on the side of a road in the city's Luohu District. Police later detained the man and rushed the injured to the hospital. The man, surnamed He, was also sent to the hospital for treatment, as he injured himself during the attack. Initial investigation showed that the man had a history of mental illness. Photo: Xinhua

 

Three people died and another five were injured in a knife attack that occurred Monday in the city of Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province, local police said.

Police received a call at 9:45 am Monday saying that a man was randomly attacking passersby with a knife on the side of a road in the city's Luohu District.

Police later detained the man and rushed the injured to the hospital, the municipal public security bureau said.

The man, surnamed He, was also sent to the hospital for treatment, as he injured himself during the attack.

The 40-year-old suspect has a history of mental illness, an initial investigation by district police authorities showed. He began to seek treatment for his illness in 1991 and has since then been taking medications and undergoing further checkups, it stated.

The suspect, originally from the city of Jieyang in Guangdong, lived in a neighborhood in the Luohu District.

He allegedly left his apartment Monday morning while experiencing a mental disturbance, rushed into a roadside restaurant, seized a knife, injured the restaurant's owner and then attacked passersby, according to the investigation.

He also cut himself with the knife, it added.

A further investigation into the attack is under way. 

Photo taken on July 29, 2013 by mobile phone shows policemen confronting a man holding a knife in Luohu District of Shenzhen City, South China's Guangdong Province. Three people died and another five were injured in a knife attack that occurred Monday in the city of Shenzhen. Police received a call at 9:45 am Monday saying that a man was randomly attacking passersby with a knife on the side of a road in the city's Luohu District. Police later detained the man and rushed the injured to the hospital. The man, surnamed He, was also sent to the hospital for treatment, as he injured himself during the attack. Initial investigation showed that the man had a history of mental illness. Photo: Xinhua