The manhunt has gripped millions of Chinese people -- but not because they want to see him arrested. On the contrary, many are openly hoping he is never caught. "Uncle, run away. Hope you can still find happiness for the remainder of your life," said a top comment on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform.
The outpouring of sympathy and support is highly unusual for an alleged killer in China, where murder is punishable by death. According to police, Ou is the prime suspect for an attack allegedly committed on October 10. Local police and the Pinghai county government did not offer details about the weapon allegedly used or reveal the identities of the dead and injured. The victims included four generations of one family living next door to Ou, according to Chinese media. A village official told state-run media Beijing News a 70-year-old man and his daughter-in-law died in the alleged attack. The man's wife, 30-year-old grandson and 10-year-old great grandson were also injured, it added.
