Chinese kindergarten teacher executed after poisoning students, killing 1

Kate Perez, USA TODAY
·1 min read
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A Chinese kindergarten teacher was executed Thursday for poisoning 25 of her students in 2019, resulting in the death of one child, the Associated Press reported.

Wang Yun, 40, was convicted of poisoning her students by adding sodium nitrite to the food being served to them. She had originally received nine months in prison for deliberate harm for the crime, but the sentencing was then changed, and she was sentenced to death in September 2020.

A notice posted on the outside of a court in China Friday indicated that Wang had been executed the day before, according to the Associated Press.

Here's what we know about the case and execution.

Wang poisons students in 2019

Wang added the sodium nitrite to porridge that was given to the children on March 27, 2019, at Mengmeng Pre-school Education, where she was teaching at the time. Wang poisoned the students after an argument with a coworker regarding how the students should be managed.

According to Poison Control, ingesting nitrite can result in a lack of oxygen, making it hard to breathe, along with "confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures, abnormal heart rhythms, and death."

The court notice stated that 24 of the students had minor injuries and recovered from the poisoning, but one student died from organ failure in 2020 after being treated for 10 months.

This was not the first time Wang had used sodium nitrite. She also poisoned her husband with the toxic substance, who survived with mild injuries, AP reported.

More recent attacks: 6 fatally stabbed in attack outside a kindergarten in China; suspect detained

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Contributing: The Associated Press, Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY

Kate Perez covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@gannett.com or on Twitter @katecperez_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: China executes kindergarten teacher for poisoning 25 students, killing 1