Li Hsing-ju
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- Gender
- male
- Country
- Taiwan
- Location
- Nantou City, Taiwan
- Date of birth
- 1930
- Age at first offence
- 29
- Characteristics
- jealousy
- Victim profile
- Men, women and children
- Method of murder
- Shooting (two rifles)
- Date(s) of murder
- September 21, 1959
- Years active
- 1959
- Date of arrest
- —
- Status
-
Died in custody
Committed suicide by shooting himself in the head the same day
Case record: Li Hsing-ju
Background
Li Hsing-ju was a 29-year-old army captain. He had fallen in love with 19-year-old Lu Mu-sheng, who rejected his advances and became engaged with her neighbour Yu Chuang Sheng while he was stationed on the Quemoy islands. When Li returned home, Lu introduced him to another girl, proposing that he should marry her instead. Lu Mu-sheng and Yu Chuang Sheng were about to get married on the day of the shooting.
The offence
In the early hours of September 21, at approximately 2 a.m., Li broke into the house of Lu Mu-sheng and her family, carrying with him two rifles. He fatally shot Lu's father, her 10-year-old sister, her two brothers aged 14 and 6, and her 30-year-old fiance with a semi-automatic rifle. He then dragged her outside and critically wounded her with shots to the chest and leg.
Li also fired at two neighbours who came to investigate, killing one and wounding the other. He then entered a second-storey apartment 50 yards away, where the girl—Miss Lu—had introduced him to, lived together with her family. There, Li killed the girl's parents, her brother, and one of her sisters, and wounded herself and another sister.
Investigation and police response
When police arrived at the scene and asked him to surrender, Li committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. Police surrounded the second death house and shouted they would throw tear gas grenades if the Captain did not come out with his hands in the air.
Victims and casualties
Li killed ten people and wounded four others. The victims included Lu Mu-sheng’s father; her 10-year-old sister; her brothers aged 14 and 6; her 30-year-old fiance Yu Chuan Sheng; and a neighbour. In the second apartment, Li killed the parents, her brother, and one of her sisters, and wounded Lu and another sister.
Outcome and aftermath
Li committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. Nationalist military officials privately expressed serious alarm over the massacre because of its possible affect on the morale of troops and civilians.
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