Student slashed with butterfly knife in Macau classroom after online gaming dispute
A junior secondary student was injured in a classroom knife attack in Macau on Thursday morning, the latest violent incident to strike the territory's schools in recent months.
The assault occurred around eleven o'clock at a secondary school in Zona Norte when a newly transferred third-year student slashed a classmate across the face and neck with an unsharpened butterfly knife measuring approximately 11 centimeters in length.
The confrontation stemmed from tensions that had developed between the two male students on social media, where they had quarreled over video game strategies. According to authorities, one student had mocked the other during online discussions, creating animosity that carried into the classroom.
The situation escalated when the victim accidentally bumped the suspect's chair, triggering a heated verbal exchange that quickly turned physical. During the scuffle, the transfer student—who had enrolled at the school earlier this month—pulled the butterfly knife from his trousers pocket and attacked his classmate.
Teachers and students present in the classroom immediately intervened to separate the two youths and stop the fight. School administrators contacted the Judiciary Police Youth Concern Section, which handles criminal investigations involving juveniles and has maintained partnerships with Macau schools since establishing the Communication Network for School Safety in 2008.
The injured student received medical treatment at a local hospital and was discharged the same day after his wounds were dressed.
Weapon purchased online for performance practice
During police questioning, the teenage suspect claimed he had purchased the unsharpened blade online for performance demonstrations and manipulation practice. Butterfly knives, also known as balisong knives, feature two handles that counter-rotate around the blade tang, concealing the blade when closed. Originally developed in the Philippines for self-defense and utility purposes, these knives are restricted or banned in many jurisdictions worldwide due to their quick deployment capability and association with criminal use.
The student told investigators he had practiced handling the knife at home that morning and unintentionally left it in his pocket when he came to school. Despite being unsharpened, the weapon is classified as prohibited under Macau's strict weapons control regime, which tightly restricts gun and weapon ownership primarily to law enforcement, military personnel, and private security firms.
Police transferred the suspect, accompanied by his parents, to the Public Prosecutions Office to face charges of simple assault on bodily integrity and unjustified possession of a prohibited weapon.
Recent pattern of youth violence
The knife attack adds to growing concerns about violence in Macau's schools. In early September, an 18-year-old student threw corrosive liquid at a 60-year-old teacher at Escola São João de Brito on the first day of the academic year, causing severe facial burns and hospitalizing both individuals. Earlier in June, six underage residents aged between 11 and 15 faced prosecution after filming themselves assaulting a female peer student in an incident that involved youths from at least four separate schools.
The social media origins of Thursday's dispute reflect broader challenges facing young people in the region. Research indicates that cyberbullying and traditional school bullying are growing concerns in Chinese societies including Macau. A survey conducted by the General Association of Chinese Students of Macau found that 10 percent of 3,690 pupils reported experiencing cyberbullying, while 70 percent said they had witnessed such incidents as bystanders.
Following the knife attack, the Judiciary Police issued a public appeal urging young people to exercise restraint and emotional composure when facing disagreements. Authorities emphasized that violence should never be used to settle disputes and encouraged students to resolve conflicts through open communication.
Police also advised students experiencing bullying to seek help from parents, educators, or trusted figures rather than suffering in silence, and to report incidents directly to law enforcement when necessary. Parents were urged to stay closely engaged with their children's social lives and to foster law-abiding habits from an early age.
