Beijing:
A man shot dead six people and wounded three others at a village in southwest China, creating panic during New Year celebrations, police said today.
Shao Zongqi, 38, is suspected of carrying out the killing yesterday in Yunnan province with a semi-automatic rifle, police said in a statement.
The accused, who hails from Qingkou village, then escaped by a cross-country vehicle, the statement said.
He is now wanted by Tengchong county police who is offering 200,000 yuan (Rs 20 lakh approximately) as reward to anybody who provides information that leads to the arrest of the suspect or people who capture him, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The whole country turned into a celebratory mood welcoming the lunar year of Horse, beginning today.
The New Year celebrations, also known as the Spring Festival, will continue till mid-February.