4 dead, 9 injured after mass stabbing and smoke bomb attack at train station

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• At least four people have died after a mass knife attack in Taipei, Taiwan, on Friday, December 19

• The suspect allegedly detonated smoke bombs at the main metro station before continuing his rampage at another station in a busy shopping district

• According to reports, the 27-year-old suspect is among the dead as he fell from a multi-storey building while being pursued by the police.

At least four people are dead and several others are injured after a mass knife attack in Taiwan.

On Friday, December 19, smoke bombs were set off at the main metro station in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei amid a “random knife attack” that then continued at Zhongshan Station. Four people were killed during the rampage, including the attacker, Reuters reported.

Nine others were also injured during the incident, according to the National Police Agency (NPA). The injured victims suffered stab wounds and blunt trauma to the forehead and were hospitalized, confirmed Premier Cho Jung-tai.

“The suspect wore a mask and deliberately threw several petrol bombs and smoke bombs, and then randomly attacked people … causing many injuries,” Jung-tai said in a translated Facebook post.

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The attacks at both stations are believed to have been carried out by a single suspect, 27-year-old Chang Wen, who is now dead, according to Reuters.

Wen allegedly damaged several vehicles and set fire to where he lived before the stabbing, ABC News reported, citing Chang Jung-Hsin, director general of the National Police Agency.

“The suspect planned an indiscriminate attack. He acted according to his plan,” said Jung-Hsin, according to the outlet.

The suspect then “jumped to his death” during the police pursuit, the city’s mayor, Jiang Wan’an, confirmed on Facebook.

Local police implemented preventive and response measures following the attacks in the area, including tighter security and increased police visibility, according to the NPA. The motive for the attacks is still unknown.

Jung-tai urged police to “maintain a high level of alert” across the country, particularly at stations that could be potential targets for future attacks.

“The government will fully support the families of the victims, the injured, and the volunteers for compensation, compensation and follow-up care,” he said in a translated post on Facebook.

President Lai Ching-te said in a statement on Instagram, “I would like to express my deepest condolences to the people who lost their lives in last night’s horrific and violent attack, my condolences to the families, and my thanks to the medical team for their efforts to save the injured.”

“…I would also like to express my sincere gratitude and respect to all those who stood up during the incident to stop the author from hurting others more…” he continued.

“I have requested that the relevant units of the prosecution, police and investigation departments conduct a comprehensive, in-depth and thorough investigation into the perpetrator’s background, motives, whether there were accomplices, and whether anyone instigated the attack, to ensure that the truth is revealed to the public,” concluded Ching-te.

PEOPLE has contacted the NPA for further comment amid their investigation.

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