Zheng Minsheng was born on 30 April 1968 in China. Very little is known about his early life. At some point he trained and worked as a community doctor, but by 2010 his life had become marked by instability, rejection, and growing resentment toward society. Reports following his arrest suggested that he was frustrated by personal setbacks, including being rejected by a woman and what he described as “unfair treatment” by her wealthy family.

On the morning of 23 March 2010, Zheng Minsheng carried out a mass stabbing outside the Nanping City Experimental Elementary School in Fujian Province. At approximately 7:20 am, as children were arriving for class, Zheng attacked with a knife at the school gates. The gates were customarily kept closed until 7:30 am, but the students had already gathered in front of the building when Zheng struck.

In the space of only a few moments, Zheng stabbed multiple children, killing eight and injuring five others. Six of the victims died on the spot, while two succumbed to their injuries later in hospital. The deceased were four boys and four girls, ranging from grade one to grade four. Their names were later publicly confirmed: Ke Cuiting, Chen Chuning, Ouyang Yuhao, Huang Shujie, Peng Fei, Chen Jiahui, Zhou Yuxiao, and Hou Chuanjie.

The massacre ended only when three adults at the scene intervened and subdued Zheng, preventing further casualties. The attack shocked the nation and marked the beginning of a series of violent assaults on schools across China in the following months.

Zheng was quickly arrested and interrogated. He confessed to the killings and explained his actions by saying that life was meaningless. Authorities charged him with intentional homicide. His trial moved swiftly. On 8 April 2010, he was found guilty of murder by the court and sentenced to death. Appeals for leniency were not considered given the severity and brazenness of the crime. Just twenty days after sentencing, Zheng Minsheng was executed by shooting on 28 April 2010.