Death toll rises to 9 in China school stabbing attack

The death toll has risen to nine in a stabbing attack outside a middle school in northwestern China.

The Mizhi county government in Shaanxi province reported that 10 other people had been hospitalized with injuries resulting from the Friday evening rampage outside the No. 3 Middle School.

Police have arrested a suspect in his 20s identified by the surname Zhao. He had been a student at the school and was believed to be seeking revenge for having been bullied, according to the Mizhi government’s official microblog.

China tightly restricts private gun ownership, making knives and homemade explosives the most common weapons in violent crimes.

Many schools have beefed up security at access points following violence against students and family members. In 2010, nearly 20 children were killed in knife attacks outside school gates.