Suspect who slashed 5 elementary school children was arrested after 1 hour on the run, not high on drugs

On the afternoon of May 3, Thanh Hoa Provincial Police continued to examine the scene, take statements from victims and suspects to clarify the cause of the murder that left one child dead and five people injured at Dong Luong Primary School, Lang Chanh District.

Suspect Do Manh Chieu Minh. Photo: Lam Son.

Colonel Khuong Duy Oanh - Deputy Director of Thanh Hoa Provincial Police said that the test results confirmed that suspect Do Manh Chieu Minh was negative for drugs. Therefore, the suspect was not "stoned" as previously rumored. Minh was addicted to games, lived a closed life, and had little contact with neighbors.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Manh, spokesman for Thanh Hoa Provincial Police, said dozens of officers and soldiers from the police of Lang Chanh, Ba Thuoc, and Ngoc Lac districts were mobilized to capture Minh. After more than an hour, the suspect was discovered hiding at the edge of a pond next to the forest in Tan Phuc commune, more than 4 km from the scene.

On the afternoon of May 3, Dr. Hoang Van Chinh - Director of Lang Chanh District General Hospital announced that the 5 injured victims were out of danger. The most seriously injured person, Pham Duc Huynh, was transferred to a higher level for treatment of a puncture wound to the lung.

The murder knife was thrown in a field not far from the scene. Photo: Lam Son.

At around 8:45 a.m. on May 3, Minh broke into Dong Luong Primary School with a knife, went to the second floor, entered class 5A and stabbed Le Huu Phuoc, who was sitting at the front desk. On the way to escape, he stabbed 4 more students and 1 female teacher. Phuoc died before being taken to the hospital.

The remaining patients include Le Minh Trieu (10 years old) who suffered a deep cut on the right temple and a severed right earlobe, and Le Diep Tuyen (8 years old) who suffered a neck injury. Le Van Dong (11 years old) and teacher Tran Thi Thanh (41 years old) suffered minor injuries and underwent surgery. Currently, the health and mental state of the patients are gradually stabilizing.

The school where the murder took place. Photo: Le Hoang.

Dong Luong Primary School has 6 buildings, fenced off from the residential area. At the time of the incident, there were 17 teachers in the school, and the security guard was unable to intervene in time to stop Minh’s actions.

Principal of Dong Luong Primary School Le Thien Quang said, "It is likely that the perpetrator climbed over the fence because during school hours the school gate is locked and guarded by security guards."

5 elementary school students were slashed in the middle of the schoolyard, 1 student died

Carrying a knife, a young man rushed into the school during recess and attacked a female teacher and a group of students.