Four American College Instructors Stabbed During China Visit

Four American college instructors from Iowa were stabbed in an apparently “unprovoked and random” attack in a public park in northeastern China Monday, reported KCRG.com, the local ABC news affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The victims all work for Cornell College in Iowa and were visiting China as part of a teaching partnership with Beihua University, according to CNN.

A 55-year-old Chinese man identified by his last name, Cui, has been arrested for the stabbings, according to Chinese police. Cui “collided with a foreigner while walking” in Beishan Park, located in the city center of Jilin, a province bordering North Korea and Russia, a police report states. The suspect allegedly stabbed the instructors and a Chinese tourist who attempted to stop the attack.

“At present, the injured have all received proper medical treatment and are not in danger of life,” police said, noting that the crime is still under investigation, according to CNN. 

One of the American victims has been identified as David Zabner, a Ph.D. student in computer science education at Tufts University who was working with Cornell College during the teaching program and is the brother of Iowa state Representative Adam Zabner. Representative Zabner told CNN that he spoke to his brother Tuesday morning and that he’s “doing well” and has “been stitched up and seems to be recovering.”

The other three victims also survived the attack, according to Zabner, who did not elaborate on their conditions. Iowa congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks told KCRG.com on Monday that two victims were in critical condition and underwent surgery.

“I’m just extremely grateful that my brother is OK and that he survived this attack,” Representative Zabner told CNN.

Jonathan Brand, president of Cornell College, said in a statement that college personnel have “been in contact with all four instructors and are assisting them during this time,” noting that students were not a part of the program.

Chinese government officials reportedly removed visuals and discussions about the attack on social media, though some comments were surfacing online by Tuesday afternoon, according to CNN.

China’s Foreign Ministry held a news conference on Tuesday and said the attack was an “isolated incident” and wouldn’t affect educational exchange programs between China and the U.S.

“Carrying out people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the United States is in the common interests of both sides and has received active support and response from various sectors in both countries,” Lin Jian, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, according to CNN.