Three people were killed and five others wounded in Taiwan after a knife-wielding attacker carried out a violent rampage in central Taipei on Friday, before later dying during a police pursuit after falling from a building, Premier Cho Jung-tai said.
According to the premier, the suspect first set off smoke bombs at Taipei’s main train station before fleeing to a nearby subway station in a busy shopping area, attacking people along the way.
Cho told reporters that the deceased suspect, identified only by his last name, Chang, had a prior criminal record and outstanding warrants, adding that police have searched his residence. Violent crime is rare in Taiwan.
“We will investigate his background and associated relationships to understand his motives and determine if there are other connected factors,” Cho said.
He added that, in addition to smoke grenades, the suspect likely had items such as petrol bombs that appeared to have burned at the scene. Cho also noted that the man was wearing what looked like body armour and a mask during the attack.
“It appears he deliberately threw smoke bombs and wielded a long knife to carry out indiscriminate attacks on the public.”
