At least three people were killed and nine others injured on Friday after a knife-wielding attacker went on a rampage in Taipei, setting off smoke bombs in the city’s metro system during the evening rush hour.
The 27-year-old suspect, identified by officials as Chang Wen, detonated smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails at Taipei’s Main Station before fleeing through an underground shopping center to the nearby Zhongshan Station.
Along the way, he stabbed multiple victims, killing a man who reportedly tried to stop him. The suspect later died after falling from a multi-storey building while being surrounded by police. His motive remains unclear.
Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai confirmed the suspect died in the hospital. Videos from the scene showed people in panic as an individual in a baseball cap and black clothing lobbed smoke bombs across a busy road and wielded a large knife.
The attacker had briefly returned to his hotel to retrieve a weapon before continuing the assault.
Attacks of this scale are exceptionally rare in Taiwan, which has low rates of violent crime. The last similar incident in Taipei occurred over a decade ago, in 2014.
The brazen attack during peak travel hours has shocked the nation and raised immediate questions about public security in one of Asia’s safest urban centers.
By James Kisoo
