A mentally-distorted farmer axed to death six people including two girls on their way to Tongxin kindergarten school in Gongyi early Wednesday, AFP reported.

The nearby locals who witnessed the killing spree at 8:40 in Henan province told the media the suspect, Wang Hongbin, 30, has been suffering from a mental illness. In the morning of the crime, he suddenly appeared at the outskirts of Gongyi city carrying an axe and started attacking people on sight, killing on the spot three adults, while the rest died of serious wounds at the hospital.

The Korea Herald reported a local Chinese website stated the four adults were mothers who were supposed to send their children to school.

A staff employee of Tongxing kindergarten confirmed the two young girls were pupils of the school but reiterated the crime did not occur in the school premises. The incident, which was the most recent happening in a series of assault involving children and mentally ill Chinese, prompted the authorities to tighten security especially around schools.

Crime experts told AFP and AP reporters that the incident in China, while rare, calls for a thorough review of the country's priorities. High-profile killings involving children either carried out by mentally-defect Chinese or by a random reaction to social stresses propelled by the rapid urbanization of China continue to question China's capability of resolving crimes at their root cause.

On Sina Weibo, the country's own version of Twitter, the latest incidence provoked the locals to analyze the intention of the attack. They argued that the crime did not make sense.

"Why do 'suspected mental patients' always aim at the weakest, kindergarten-age children?," asked one user, implying the possibility that the suspects are not really mentally ill.

Another user also suggested the suspect should have instead attacked the government.

"Damn you! Why don't you go and chop at the gate of government?"

Experts accounted the incident to China's 30-year focus on economic growth while setting aside the drawbacks of the inevitable rapid social changes.

In 2006 in Gongyi, a man was charged of arson resulting in a death of two children and injury of 13 individuals. The suspect told the authorities he sought vengeance after his romantic advances towards a kindergarten teacher were disregarded.

In 2010, 17 people including 15 children died and more than 80 were injured in a series of five attacks hurled at random schools in China.

In Shanghai earlier in August, a staff member of daycare center for migrant workers went on a slashing spree and injured eight pupils. A paper cutter was reportedly used.