Authorities in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, said a 26-year-old man surnamed Chen carried out a robbery on March 20 in Hengqin, leaving one person dead and another injured.
The police statement, issued on March 22, did not mention any connection to Macau University of Science and Technology.
In the days that followed, a different version of events began circulating on overseas platforms including X.
An account known for tracking major incidents in China, “Luo Xiang — Breaking the Curtain,” published a post on March 24 citing what it described as a submission from a police officer involved in the case. The post claimed that seven female students from Macau University of Science and Technology had been killed, describing the attack as an act of indiscriminate violence.
Screenshots shared alongside the post showed a message attributed to the alleged source. The writer identified himself as someone connected to the investigation and said the images had been taken covertly. The message also included remarks about what it described as worsening public security conditions and declining freedom of expression.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
Other images circulating online appeared to show interrogation records. In those exchanges, the suspect was described as a low-income worker facing long hours and delayed wages. He was quoted as saying he no longer wanted to live and had chosen his victims at random.
When asked why he targeted the victims, the suspect reportedly said there was no specific reason.
The same account had earlier posted on March 22 that authorities were withholding information. It referred to graffiti said to have appeared on a wall at the university’s Zhuhai campus, claiming that seven people had died and accusing officials of falsifying the case details.
Images shared online also included what appeared to be a partially obscured student list, showing seven names with most identifying information blurred.
Separate posts on X repeated similar claims, including allegations that seven female students had been killed inside a residential complex. Some posts described the crime scene in graphic terms. None of these claims have been independently confirmed.
Police have not reported multiple victims. The official account continues to describe the case as a robbery that resulted in one death.
Hong Kong outlet HK01, citing Macau broadcaster Rádio Macau, reported that Macau University of Science and Technology confirmed the deceased individual mentioned in the police statement was a student of the university.
Public records show that the university’s Zhuhai campus, established in 2000, primarily offers postgraduate programs and operates under the framework of the main institution in Macau.
Online discussion has focused on the gap between the official report and the claims circulating abroad. Some users questioned whether the number of victims had been fully disclosed. Others pointed to what they described as a lack of transparency in how such cases are reported.
No independent evidence has emerged to confirm the higher death toll or the details described in the online posts.
By Li Muzi
Editor’s Note:
This article is based on media reports, publicly shared online posts, and claims attributed to anonymous sources. Key allegations, including the number of victims and details of the crime, have not been independently verified.
