Tian Mingjian incident
Encyclopedia
The Tian Mingjian incident was an act of spree killing
that occurred on September 20, 1994 in Beijing
, China
, when a People's Liberation Army
officer First Lieutenant
Tian Mingjian (Chinese: 田明建) killed and injured several people at his military base in Tongxian County and afterwards drove towards Jianguomen
, where he continued his shooting spree and indiscriminately fired at people in the streets. Dozens were killed or wounded, including an Iran
ian diplomat and his son who was driving nearby, before Lt. Tian was finally shot dead by a police sniper.
Being reprimanded after a quarrel with superiors, because his wife was forced to have an abortion and died, Lt. Tian, 31, armed himself with a type 81 assault rifle
and began shooting, killing five soldiers and officers, including the Communist Party
political commissar
of the camp, and injured at least ten more, before he fled the military base in Tongxian County. While his fellow soldiers were ordered to change into civilian clothing, in order not to disturb the public when searching for the deserter, Tian hijacked a jeep and headed towards Beijing. Arriving in Tiananmen Square
at 7:20 am, he jumped out, started shooting people at random and riddled a passing bus with bullets. 17 people were killed, among them Iranian
diplomat
Yousef Mohammadi Pishknari and his son. Dozens were injured on his trail towards Jianguomen, while police desperately tried to apprehend him. Eventually Lt. Tian was besieged at Yabao Road and heavy police fire forced him to flee into a dead end, where he was killed by a sniper.
Spree killer
A spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
that occurred on September 20, 1994 in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, when a People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
officer First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
Tian Mingjian (Chinese: 田明建) killed and injured several people at his military base in Tongxian County and afterwards drove towards Jianguomen
Jianguomen
Jianguomen is a major transportation hub in Beijing.Flanked by Jianguomen Inner Street to the west, Jianguomen Outer Street to the east, the Eastern 2nd Ring Road runs through it in a north-south direction....
, where he continued his shooting spree and indiscriminately fired at people in the streets. Dozens were killed or wounded, including an Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian diplomat and his son who was driving nearby, before Lt. Tian was finally shot dead by a police sniper.
Being reprimanded after a quarrel with superiors, because his wife was forced to have an abortion and died, Lt. Tian, 31, armed himself with a type 81 assault rifle
Type 81 Assault Rifle
The Type 81 assault rifle was the principal automatic rifle used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army from the mid-1980s until 1995. It incorporates elements of the Dragunov Sniper Rifle, SKS, and AK series rifles in general looks...
and began shooting, killing five soldiers and officers, including the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
political commissar
Political officer
Political officer may refer to:*Political officer , Occasionally, a synonym for political commissar*Political officer , in the context of the British Empire, for a pseudo-ambassadorial role in areas bordering imperial territories...
of the camp, and injured at least ten more, before he fled the military base in Tongxian County. While his fellow soldiers were ordered to change into civilian clothing, in order not to disturb the public when searching for the deserter, Tian hijacked a jeep and headed towards Beijing. Arriving in Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world...
at 7:20 am, he jumped out, started shooting people at random and riddled a passing bus with bullets. 17 people were killed, among them Iranian
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
Yousef Mohammadi Pishknari and his son. Dozens were injured on his trail towards Jianguomen, while police desperately tried to apprehend him. Eventually Lt. Tian was besieged at Yabao Road and heavy police fire forced him to flee into a dead end, where he was killed by a sniper.