Police shoot dead cashpoint killer, China's most wanted serial murderer, after massive manhunt

• Zhou Kehua, 42, is thought to have shot dead nine people since 2004 in armed robberies
• After eight years on the run, Zhou was tracked down near a shoe factory in Chongqing and shot by police
• Authorities had described him as 'ruthless and extremely dangerous'

Hunted down: Zhou Kehua, one of China's most wanted fugitives, was found and killed by police

China's most wanted fugitive, who is thought to have shot dead nine people since 2004 in armed robberies, was himself killed by police in southern China today, following a massive manhunt across the country.
The Chinese Ministry of Public Security said officers in Chongqing cornered Zhou Kehua in an alleyway next to a shoe factory around dawn, before shooting him dead.
The 42-year-old was believed to have been responsible for killing several people in Chongqing, as well as Changsha and Nanjing over the last eight years.
Following news that Zhou had carried out an armed robbery outside a bank in Chongqing on Friday, in which a woman was shot dead and two others injured, officials ordered police to track down the country's most wanted criminal.
Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu and Chongqing Communist Party boss Zhang Dejiang both issued directives that Zhou be arrested as soon as possible.
Thousands of police were mobilized in an effort to catch the killer, who targeted people withdrawing money from banks and was described by authorities as 'ruthless and extremely dangerous.'
A £542,500 (5.4m yuan) reward was also offered for his capture.
He had managed to evade police for years, but was finally caught this morning.

 

News of his death spread throughout Chongqing and large crowds gathered close to the scene.
Graphic photos have since appeared on the website of the official Xinhua News Agency, which show Zhou lying in a pool of blood with a bullet hole through his head.
Immediately after Zhou was shot, Meng signed an official document praising the Chongqing police.

Final act: Officials ordered Zhou to be hunted down after an armed robbery, shown on these CCTV pictures, outside a bank in Chongqing on August 10, in which one person was shot dead and two others were injured

The state media reported that Zhou's death had brought relief to the whole country, where private ownership of guns is banned and armed robberies are rare.
The hunt for Zhou has been the most popular topic on China's Twitter-like microblogging site Sina Weibo for the past few days and has dominated the news.

Shot to death: Graphic photos have appeared on the website of the official Xinhua News Agency following Zhou's killing

Armed and dangerous: A policeman cleans up pistols left behind by Zhou Kehua, who had killed nine and wounded several others in armed robberies since 2004

Grim spectacle: Crowds gather in Chongqing, China, to see for themselves as the body of Zhou Kehua is taken away

Aftermath: Police carry away the body of serial killer Zhou Kehua, described as 'ruthless and extremely dangerous'