After an investigation by the reporter, it was found that drunk tourists near a hotel had beaten up a driver, and netizens spread this rumor. At noon on January 31st, a netizen named "Peace Messenger V" posted on Weibo claiming that due to reminding others about the price gouging at Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant, tourist Wei had been brutally beaten to death by over ten people from the seafood restaurant. Wei's husband, Chen, had suffered severe injuries to his left eye, and a picture was also attached. Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant was once again pushed to the forefront of public attention. Ten minutes later, the Weibo post was deleted by the poster. For two consecutive days, our reporter verified this matter around the Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant and with the police. After verification by Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant, nearby shops, and the local police station, it was confirmed that the content of the Weibo post was false information. It is analyzed that possibly on the evening of January 30th, a fight occurred in front of a hotel near Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant, and netizens spread rumors based on hearsay.
- Our Reporter Lishengfu
Weibo Claim: Employees of Fulin Seafood beat and kill tourists
On January 31st, netizen "Peace Messenger V" posted on Weibo claiming that a murder case occurred in Sanya at noon: "This shop is the one that sold a fish for 6000 yuan." Just because of this well-intentioned reminder to tourists, victim Wei (from Jiangxi) was brutally beaten to death on the spot by over ten employees of XX Seafood Shop. Her husband, Chen, suffered severe injuries to his left eye, and their newborn baby boy was mistakenly identified as a stillborn and discarded in the trash bin. Nearby residents sent him to the hospital, and he is currently awaiting surgery at Sanya Nongken Hospital. The Sanya police have already intervened in the investigation of this case. The Weibo post also included a picture of a man lying in bed with a bandaged left eye, seemingly providing evidence.
Shortly after this Weibo post was made, it was deleted, but because some netizens had taken screenshots and forwarded them, it attracted a large number of viewers and once again put Sanya in the spotlight. Meanwhile, many netizens also questioned the credibility of this Weibo post. Netizen "wo cherish" subsequently posted a Weibo saying: "I'm here to debunk the rumor of Sanya killing tourists: Today at noon, there were lawless individuals spreading rumors accusing Sanya of killing tourists after being exposed for price gouging. This is absolutely impossible because the store has already closed. Now I will reveal the source of the accompanying picture in the rumor. Please forward this to help debunk the rumor for our Sanya." Subsequently, the netizen pointed out that the accompanying picture showed Zhou Zhigui from Chongqing, who was injured in the eye by a knife attack from an unknown motorcyclist. Netizen "A Yi who remembers to lock the door when going out" said, "There are too many people adding fuel to the fire. I hope everyone forwards to debunk the rumor." Netizen "Dian Zizheng" also posted a Weibo pointing out the flaws in this Weibo post and said, "The inflated prices of Sanya tourism should be condemned, but we cannot spread rumors intentionally to tarnish its reputation."
Multiple Verifications: Police and Hospital Departments Confirm It's a Rumor
After this Weibo post was made, although most netizens did not believe it was true, the information still spread quickly. Around 10 p.m. on January 31st, reporters from Nan Guo Metropolis Daily learned through phone calls to shops around Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant and the Sanya police, confirming that this was a rumor, and immediately informed netizens via Nan Guo Metropolis Daily Weibo that this was a rumor. In the morning of February 1st, the reporter went again to the areas around Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant and the Sanya Bay Police Station of the Sanya Public Security Bureau to understand the situation, further confirming that this was a fabricated false message without basis.
Regarding this, a manager surnamed Guo of Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant helplessly said: "Since the exposure of the price gouging incident, we have voluntarily suspended operations for rectification and are cooperating with relevant departments in investigations. On January 31st, several staff members guarding the store were all inside, and no such beating incident ever occurred. These people are truly adding fuel to the fire and fabricating baseless stories."
According to a police officer from the Sanya Bay Police Station of the Sanya Public Security Bureau, they did not receive any reports of fights near Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant on January 31st. Subsequently, reporters learned from the Nongken Sanya Hospital that on January 31st, they did not treat anyone named Chen who was beaten up in Sanya Bay and sent to their hospital.
The Truth Revealed: A Nearby Hotel Fight Misinterpreted by Netizens
So, what exactly happened? After an investigation by reporters from Nan Guo Metropolis Daily, the truth was revealed: at around 9 p.m. on January 30th, about four or five hundred meters away from Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant in front of Yajinglu Hotel, a Sichuan tourist got into an argument with a driver over luggage after getting drunk, which led to a fight. Netizens spread rumors based on hearsay, fabricating the rumor of a seafood restaurant beating incident.
According to a security guard at Yajinglu Hotel, at around 9 p.m. on January 30th, a Sichuan guest staying at their hotel got drunk and asked the driver to open the trunk to take out his luggage. The driver moved a little slowly, so the guest cursed at him and eventually hit him with his fist. Seeing that the guest was drunk, the driver ran away, but the guest kept chasing him, causing the driver's head to bleed. Since the guest was drunk and attacking someone, the tour bus driver did not press charges. Due to the presence of many onlookers and the proximity to Fulin Fish Village Seafood Restaurant, netizens spread rumors based on hearsay, leading to this rumor.