Lee Chi Hang

Case overview

Lee Chi Hang (Chinese: 李志衡) carried out the Anne Anne Kindergarten stabbing in Sham Shui Po, a district of Hong Kong, on June 3, 1982. He killed his mother and sister, wounded two other women, entered the Anne Anne Kindergarten (安安幼稚園), and stabbed children during a singing lesson. He was found to be insane and was held in a mental institution thereafter.

Timeline

• June 3, 1982 — Lee Chi Hang killed his mother and sister, then entered the Anne Anne Kindergarten (安安幼稚園) and stabbed children during a singing lesson; he also stabbed and injured multiple people before being stopped by police gunfire.
• April 1983 — He was sentenced to be detained in a mental hospital for an unspecified period.
• January 1998 — He was still being held at the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre in Tuen Mun.

Background

Lee Chi Hang was diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia. He was the son of Lee Wing Chiu and Leung Lai Kuen. His father described him as a silent boy who did poorly in school, showed strange behaviour, and spoke incoherently.

In 1976, Lee was admitted to Castle Peak Hospital, a mental institution, for six month, after fighting with a neighbour. He frequently suffered from depression and threatened to kill his parents during an argument on New Year’s Eve of 1979. Prior to the stabbing, he was unemployed and was said to have appeared emotionally unstable.

The offence

Killing of family members

At around 1:30 p.m., Lee stabbed his mother and sister in their apartment on the 12th floor of a building of the Un Chau Street Estate. They later died in hospital.

Attack with knives and chisels

Armed with two knives with 8-inch blades and two chisels, Lee ran downstairs, stabbing two other women on his way, and then entered the Anne Anne Kindergarten (安安幼稚園). At the time, 60 children between 3 and 4 years of age were having a singing lesson.

Attack at the kindergarten

Lee immediately began slashing and stabbing the children. He left 34 children wounded, including six whose arms were nearly severed, and four with fatal injuries.

Police engagement

When two police officers arrived at the scene, Lee fled to the playground. There, he stabbed constable Chan Kin Ming in the chest. Ignoring the injured policeman's orders to drop his weapons, Lee continued stabbing at passers-by, wounding two men, a woman, and a 14-year-old boy before Chan stopped him with a shot to the left arm and stomach.

Victims

• Leung Lai Kuen (梁麗娟), 48 — killed
• Lee Shiu Kam (李少芹), 17 — killed
• Unnamed boy, 3 — injured (listed among the children)
• Three other children — injured (listed without names)
• 34 children wounded overall, including:
  • 6 children whose arms were nearly severed
  • 4 children with fatal injuries
• Constable Chan Kin Ming — stabbed in the chest; stopped by a shot to the left arm and stomach
• Two men — wounded
• A woman — wounded
• A 14-year-old boy — wounded

Investigation, arrest, and trial

Lee was charged with six counts of murder. He was found to be insane.

Sentencing

In April 1983, Lee was sentenced to be detained in a mental hospital for an unspecified period.

Outcome

Lee was held in a mental institution ever since. As of January 1998, he was still being held at the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre in Tuen Mun.

Aftermath

After the stabbing, security measures at nursery schools were upgraded. It was made compulsory for discharged patients of mental institutions to regularly attend psychiatric out-patient clinics.

Other details

The 1986 film The Lunatics by Derek Yee was based on the incident.