Photo: IC

The man who killed two primary school students and injured another boy and woman in 2018 was executed in Shanghai on Thursday, Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court announced.

The incident occurred in front of the Shanghai World Foreign Language Primary School in Xuhui district on June 28. 

The man, Huang Yichuan, 29, attacked three students and a parent with a knife. Two students from the school died due to their severe injuries, with another student and parent also injured in the attack.

Huang was seized on the spot and arrested the following day on suspicion of intentional homicide. On May 23, 2019, Huang was sentenced with death penalty and deprived of his political rights for life.

The second trial on December 30 maintained the death sentence after Huang lodged an appeal claiming that he was suffering from schizophrenia and therefore had a diminished sense of responsibility at the time of the incident.

The investigation showed that Huang did suffer from schizophrenia, meaning that he had limited criminal liability in the case; however, the death penalty was maintained considering his extremely despicable actions, cruelty, and the serious consequences of the attack. His mental illness had no obvious impact on his ability to recognize and control his behaviors when committing the crimes, the court said.

Huang, a migrant worker from Central China's Hunan Province, committed the attack deliberately and with full preparation as he wanted to release his anger after failing to find a job in Shanghai, according to the investigation.

He came to Shanghai on June 6 and purchased a kitchen knife at a supermarket. Before the fatal incident, he carefully studied the campus location.

On June 28, he saw students leaving the campus at noon and followed them for over 100 meters before he attacked.