At least three people were killed and nine more injured after a knife-wielding man went on a rampage in Taipei on Friday evening, BBC reports. The 27-year-old suspect, identified as Taiwanese national Chang Wen, set off smoke bombs at the city’s main metro station before moving to a shopping district and stabbing people along the way, Premier Cho Jung-tai said.
Chang later died in hospital after falling from a multi-storey building. His motives remain unknown. Authorities said he had a criminal record and was already wanted by police. The premier confirmed that an investigation into the suspect’s background and possible connections is underway.
Attack unfolds across metro stations and shopping centres
The incident began at Taipei Main Station around 17:20 local time (09:20 GMT), when Chang detonated smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails near the busy underground shopping street. Video footage shows panicked commuters fleeing as a man in black clothing brandishes a large knife.
A man who tried to intervene was struck with a blunt object and later died in hospital. Chang then fled to Zhongshan Station, approximately 800 metres away, retrieving another weapon from his hotel en route. He stabbed additional people before entering a bookshop and department store, where he fell to his death as police closed in.
Authorities increase security
In response, Premier Cho ordered heightened security at metro stations, railways, and airports. President William Lai also vowed a swift investigation. Friday’s attack is only the second major stabbing incident in Taipei in more than a decade, following a 2014 attack on an underground train that killed four people.
