Beijing Man Pierced by Arrow on City Street in Broad Daylight

[This post contains violent content displaying copious amounts of blood]

A Beijing man is lucky to be alive after he was pierced with an arrow on a city street in Fangshan on Thursday in what appears to be a very rare case of violence involving bowed weapons in China.

Photos of the victim posted to social media show him lying on his back with the arrow protruding up from the top of his chest with the bladed arrowhead pointing up, signifying that he was shot in the back and that the arrow had passed through his chest.

Surrounded by uniformed police and first responders, the victim appears to have sustained a major injury from the piercing. Much of the man's white shirt has been stained with his blood, and blood stains can be seen on the ground.

Local police say the victim is receiving medical treatment and is not in a life-threatening condition. An investigation is pending.

Beijing and much of China has a reputation for being a safe place. On the rare chance that violent crimes occur, they usually involve knives, making this story just about the only time we've ever heard of an attack using a bow and arrow in Beijing.

In May of last year, a stray dog was rescued after it was shot in the head with a crossbow bolt. As for a method of violence between people, our internet search only managed to turn up one story, and that happened in 2014 across the strait in Taiwan.

As rare as this attack is, it reminds us that despite all the restrictions made on dangerous weapons in China, none are applied to bows and arrows, which can be purchased freely online. As an Olympic sport, archery is so well-received in Beijing that residents can frequent a franchise chain that features both a bar and an archery club.

On the other hand, weapons that include crossbows and slingshots are controlled under harsh restrictions.

China has some of the harshest gun laws in the world, and also has some of the broadest definitions of what a gun is. This past January, a 51-year-old Tianjin woman was jailed for three and a half years for allowing visitors to a fair to shoot targets with air guns. Last August, an 18-year-old Fujian boy was jailed for life after the imitation guns he purchased online were classified as "real" by Chinese customs.

A firearm that discharges an object with the force of 1.8 joules is considered a firearm by Chinese authorities.

Bowed weapons came into the spotlight this past summer when they were appropriated as toys for children. Outraged parents forced the ban of a palm-sized crossbow that shot toothpicks after school officials raised the alarm on social media.

Images: Weibo.com, picquery.com

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