The latest incidents in Beijing of people reportedly with mental health problems attacking and killing people in public places have again underscored the urgent need for effective action to prevent such tragedies from occurring again.

On Monday, a man purchased a knife at a Carrefour supermarket and began attacking people inside the store; one woman died and three others were wounded, including a 2-year-old boy. According to the police, the suspect had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment in September last year and discharged in January.

This is the second such violent incident in the capital in a week. On July 17, a 27-year-old man from Shandong province stabbed two people to death, including a woman from the United States, outside a popular shopping mall. Beijing police are trying to confirm with the police in his hometown that the suspect has a mental health problem, as the unemployed man reportedly told them he is mentally ill.