Police fatally shot a knife-wielding man after he took a hostage at Tuen Mun Town Plaza on Thursday night. The man has been identified as a 34-year-old Vietnamese national holding a Hong Kong identity card.
Sources said the man had multiple criminal records, including drug trafficking, assaulting police officers and possession of offensive weapons. About one kilogram of suspected methamphetamine and a retractable baton were found on him.
Police responded to reports at around 7pm after the man allegedly took a knife from a Donki store. Officers later located him outside a restaurant at the plaza, where he was seen armed and ignored repeated police warnings.
Pepper spray was deployed but proved ineffective. The suspect then entered the shopping mall and took a female hostage, prompting officers to fire two shots.
The man was rendered unconscious and taken to Tuen Mun Hospital, where he later died. The hostage was safely rescued.
Online videos circulating show a man dressed in white waving a sharp object as shoppers fled the scene, followed by the sound of two gunshots. Riot police equipped with shields were later seen arriving as officers maintained their positions with firearms drawn.
Police said investigations into the incident are ongoing.
