Straight-A student stabs teacher to death in central China

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On Sunday, 16-year-old high school student, identified as Luo, reportedly stabbed and killed his 47-year-old teacher surnamed Bao over a quarrel at a school in central China’s Hunan Province. Local police have detained Luo and are investigating the incident.

Luo and his classmates.//Photo from The Paper

The tragedy happened after a Sunday test. After the exam, Bao, the teacher, asked the students to stay and watch a 16-minute motivational video and write a 500-word review as extra tasks.

Luo opposed the teacher's requirement along with several classmates in front of the classroom, and was later taken to the teacher's office. Luo hid a fruit knife inside his pocket as Bao admonished Luo for his attitude and his recent academic performance. When Bao decided to call Luo’s parents, Luo is alleged to have stabbed his teacher from behind.

Bao was cited as an "Excellent Teacher"./Photo from The Paper

“I’m regretful and feel deeply sorry for my teacher and his family,” Luo told local media, “I was outraged and out of control when I heard him take away our spare time.”

Luo is a straight-A student who tops the class and has a top 10 ranking among all the sophomore class. Considered to be kindhearted, smart and mild by his parents and classmates, many are finding it hard to believe Luo killed his teacher Bao, who had treated him like a son.

Bao had high expectations for his top student and even applied to a limited number of scholarships for him. However, the teacher's caring seemed to be too much and turned to trouble for Luo, who just wanted to live a simple and easy life.

“I don’t think he (Bao) treated me well, and I don’t understand him either," said Luo.

Meanwhile, some have attributed Luo’s behavior to “too much pressure." With the counting down of days until the upcoming national exam, considered to be a test that can determine a student's future, Luo was facing pressures from both school and his family. However, due to the shortage of psychological consultants at the school, Luo had nowhere to let go for his mental stress.

Yuanjiang No.3 Middle School, where the accident took place./ Photo from The Paper

Because the school is in a remote mountainous region, it’s hard to hire academic teachers, not to mention psychological counselors, said a staff member surnamed Liu.

Without appropriate psychological counseling and with the rush of having his spare time taken away, Luo hurt his teacher Bao and will likely pay a heavy price for his impulsive and deadly act.

“I don’t hate him and I don’t know why. A life for a life means nothing,” Bao’s daughter told The Paper, “I just hope that he (Luo) repents and won’t hurt others anymore."