In Taiwan’s capital Taipei, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen launched a deadly knife attack on the evening of Friday. Three persons have been killed and 5 others have been injured by Chang Wen in the rampage, an unusual act of gruesome crime in the generally peaceful city.
Chang Wen first threw smoke grenades at Taipei Main Station, causing chaos and panic among commuters. He then moved to the nearby Zhongshan subway station in a busy shopping centre, wielding a long knife to indiscriminately stab whoever he could find. Among the victims was a 57-year-old man who tried to stop Chang Wen but was stabbed to death.
Chang Wen eventually fled to a department store building, where he fell from the sixth floor during a police chase and was declared dead at the hospital.
Investigating authorities have revealed that Chang Wen had a criminal record and has warrants against him. Violent crimes are not common in Taiwan, though the attack echoes a 2014 metro stabbing that had killed four people.
President Lai Ching-te ordered heightened security nationwide at transport hubs and airports.