Three Killed in Stabbing Attack in Taiwan
Three individuals lost their lives and at least six others sustained injuries on Friday in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, when a man unleashed smoke grenades in a busy train station and attacked bystanders with a large knife. According to the police, the assailant died after escaping and subsequently either fell or jumped from a building. The individual, clad in dark shorts, a shirt, and a cap, appeared at Taipei Main Station during the late afternoon and released smoke grenades in an underground concourse teeming with commuters. Footage captured by witnesses revealed dense smoke engulfing part of the station as people sought refuge inside a café. Following this, the attacker proceeded approximately half a mile to a bustling shopping district, Zhongshan. There, he deployed more smoke grenades. Wielding a knife, he navigated through the crowd and later entered a store, prompting terrified shoppers to flee onto the street. The assailant perished after falling from the sixth floor of the store, a representative from the Taipei police department stated. One of the deceased, a man in his 50s, was stabbed at the station, while another, also a male, suffered fatal stab wounds in Zhongshan, Taiwan’s premier, Cho Jung-tai, informed reporters. Authorities later noted that a third individual succumbed to injuries at a hospital. Taiwan is generally viewed as a safe location, and instances of violence are infrequent. This incident sparked significant media coverage and reactions from politicians urging both calm and vigilance. Premier Cho commented that it would take time to determine the motives behind the attack. Investigators in Taoyuan, a city adjacent to Taipei, later revealed that the man appeared to hail from Taoyuan and had been wanted for dodging military service, according to Wu Yi-ming, a spokesperson for the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Taipei. Additional reporting by Amy Chang Chien in Taipei.
Published: 2025-12-20 01:33:00
source: www.nytimes.com
