中國留學生王卓斌在2020年赴美阿拉巴馬州奧本大學求學，原本只是個懷抱理想、努力打拼的青年。然而，因為租屋與房東夫婦產生矛盾，最終竟演變成雙命慘案，並將他自己推向死刑的邊緣。

王卓斌自幼家境普通，出國留學已是家庭極大負擔。他在美國努力爭取獎學金，盡可能減輕壓力，但房租昂貴成為最大困境。一次偶然的春節聚會，他結識同為中國人的博士前輩宣立俊及其妻子吳峥峥，對方看似熱心，提出以相對低廉的租金將家中二樓房間租給他，事後發現比外面市場行情貴許多。起初，王卓斌感受到家的溫暖，但隨著入住後的生活逐漸展開，矛盾開始浮現。

首先是環境與生活規範的摩擦。疫情隔離期間，他覺得房間悶熱卻被拒開空調，只能靠電扇度日。床架意外斷裂後，房東卻要求他支付700美元賠償，這在他眼中完全是不合理的勒索。更令他反感的是，房東竟然聯繫到他遠在中國的父母，並在日常生活中對他施加過度限制，例如規定每天只能做一餐飯、嚴格要求口罩使用。這些細節使他逐漸感到被控制、被針對，心理壓力不斷積累。

之後，隨著爭執升級，王卓斌將遭遇曝光到留學生群組與網路，卻引發房東夫婦的反擊，雙方在社交媒體上互相指控。此時，更多曾經租過宣家房屋的留學生站出來，表示自己也曾受過不合理對待。輿論一度發酵，宣立俊夫婦形象嚴重受損。這場線上爭議，不但未能解決矛盾，反而加深王卓斌的孤立感與憤怒。

2020年10月22日，王卓斌最終失去理智，帶著刀具潛入房東住所，對宣立俊連刺二十餘刀，並攻擊吳峥峥。兩名幼子親眼目睹這場血腥慘劇。宣立俊當場死亡，吳峥峥雖一度搶救，最終也因傷重不治。行兇後，王卓斌主動打電話報警，自首承認行為是蓄意的。

案件曝光後震動全美，因阿拉巴馬州法律仍允許死刑，且在特別嚴重的案件中，法官可不經陪審團裁決直接判處死刑，王卓斌被認為面臨極高的死刑風險。雖然有部分人認為他在留學過程中承受了巨大壓力、受到房東不公對待，甚至有人替他喊冤，但現實是他用最殘忍的方式奪走兩條生命，也讓兩個孩子失去父母，社會對此難以寬恕。

整起事件折射出疫情下留學生群體的心理壓力與人際矛盾，也暴露出某些房東利用學生身分弱勢進行不合理操作的現實。然而，無論受到多大委屈，暴力終究不是解決問題的方式。倘若當初他選擇報警、法律途徑或是單純忍讓搬離，結果或許完全不同。如今，他的人生已被徹底改寫，只能在鐵窗之內等待審判與最嚴厲的法律制裁。

In 2020, Wang Zhuobin, a young Chinese student studying at Auburn University in Alabama, was pursuing his dream of building a better future abroad. Coming from a modest background, he worked tirelessly to earn scholarships and manage the high cost of living. Rent, however, became his greatest burden. During a Lunar New Year gathering, he met fellow Chinese expatriate Xuan Lijun, a respected PhD graduate from Peking University who had settled in the U.S. with his wife, Wu Zhengzheng. They appeared welcoming and offered Wang a room in their home for $600 a month, which seemed like a lifeline.

At first, Wang felt warmth and comfort in living with fellow Chinese. But soon, disputes began to surface. During his mandatory two-week quarantine, the lack of air conditioning in the hot Alabama climate left him sleepless. When he requested it, he was initially denied and given only fans. Later, when a bed frame collapsed, the landlords demanded $700 in damages, which Wang believed was unreasonable since the frame was already worn out. Adding to his frustration, Wu contacted his parents in China over household disputes, something Wang considered an invasion of privacy. Daily life became increasingly strained, with strict rules imposed on his cooking, mask use, and movements, often enforced with harsh words and moral pressure.

Tensions escalated further after Wang discovered he was paying more than the average rent for similar accommodations. He began to suspect he was being exploited. By October, arguments had reached the breaking point, and Wang shared his experiences with other Chinese students online. Many came forward with similar complaints about the Xuans, alleging unreasonable charges, manipulative tactics, and even threats to contact parents or schools if students resisted. The revelations sparked heated online debates, with both sides defending their version of events.

For Wang, however, the sense of humiliation, injustice, and isolation became unbearable. On the night of October 22, 2020, driven by rage and despair, he returned to the Xuans’ home armed with a knife. He forced his way inside and brutally stabbed Xuan over twenty times, also attacking Wu when she tried to intervene. Their two young children witnessed the horrific scene. Xuan died instantly, while Wu, though rushed to the hospital, succumbed to her injuries after nearly a year of treatment.

In the aftermath, Wang called the police himself, confessing that the attack had been premeditated. He was arrested at the scene and later charged with multiple counts of capital murder. Due to the extreme severity of the crime, and given Alabama’s legal system—which still permits execution by lethal injection or electric chair—Wang now faces the strong likelihood of a death sentence.

The case has drawn widespread attention. While some sympathize with Wang, acknowledging the immense financial and psychological pressures he endured as a foreign student, most agree that nothing can justify the cold-blooded murder of his landlords, especially in front of children. The tragedy highlights the vulnerability of international students under stressful circumstances, the potential for exploitation within housing arrangements, and, above all, the devastating consequences of unchecked anger and violence.

Wang’s story began as one of hope and perseverance but ended in irreversible darkness. Had he chosen legal channels, mediation, or simply left, his life might have continued along the path of his dreams. Instead, he now waits behind bars, facing the harshest punishment the American justice system allows.