Three Killed, 11 Injured in Planned Knife Attack at Taiwan Subway Station

At least three people are dead, in addition to the attacker, and 11 others have been left injured after a deadly stabbing in Taipei, but the culprit's motive is still unclear.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon when a man – dressed in all-black clothes and a gas mask – entered a crowded subway in Taipei, Taiwan's capital city, carrying smoke grenades and a large knife. According to local reports, the man detonated the smoke bombs near the exit of the subway station and then began randomly stabbing bystanders, sparking chaos.

Then, the perpetrator headed towards a nearby shopping district, where he entered the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department store and threw more smoke grenades. The culprit stabbed several people on the first and fourth floors before leaping off the sixth floor of the building, leading to his death.

During the attack, three people were killed, one of which was a 57-year-old man who heroically attempted to stop the perpetrator. 11 others were injured, six of which are still in the hospital, and two remain in the ICU.

Investigations have revealed the identity of the attacker to be 27-year-old Chang Wen, but authorities also found that he planned extensively for the stabbing.

According to reports, he checked into a hotel near the department store several days before the incident and spent time scouting the area, both on foot and on a bike. Additionally, police stated that he changed his clothes a staggering five times throughout the series of stabbings, which took place hours apart.

They have not discovered any sort of motive, but authorities have hinted that the suspect likely suffered from mental health issues due to a rather lonely, stressful life. His relatives also suggested that his childhood interest in weapons could have played a role in the incident as well, and police reported that Chang had been discharged from the military multiple years prior for driving while drunk.

Attacks on the public – and crime in general – is relatively rare in Taiwan, which has a stellar safety record, making the stabbing a major incident for such a country.

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Image credit to NBC