A planned smoke bomb and knife attack carried out by a lone suspect at two Taipei metro stations on Friday evening (Dec 19) left three people dead and at least 11 others injured, Taiwanese authorities said, marking one of the most serious acts of public violence in recent years.
The attacks occurred at Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan Station during the evening rush hour. Police confirmed that four people died in total, including the suspect, who later jumped from a building while fleeing officers.
Taipei City Fire Department officials said multiple victims suffered stab wounds, blunt force trauma and cardiac arrest. Two of the injured remain in intensive care.
Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai described the incident as a “deliberate act”, saying the suspect wore a gas mask, body armour, goggles and a black cap, and threw five or six smoke or petrol bombs at Taipei Main Station before launching indiscriminate knife attacks.
“It appears he deliberately released smoke bombs and wielded a long knife to attack the public,” Cho said.
Witnesses told local media they initially thought the incident was an emergency drill before realising a masked man was throwing canisters that filled underground passages with thick white smoke. Videos circulating online showed commuters fleeing smoke-filled metro corridors.
Police identified the suspect as 27-year-old Chang Wen, who was unemployed and had a prior criminal record with outstanding warrants. Investigators said Chang acted alone.
According to a police timeline, Chang began his rampage at around 3pm by setting fire to motorcycles and cars along Chang’an East Road. At about 5pm, he allegedly set fire to his rented flat before heading to Taipei Main Station.
Chang pulled a foldable trolley carrying smoke bombs into an underground passage near Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station, where he released smoke bombs. He later returned to a nearby hotel, where he had checked in two days earlier, to retrieve a knife and additional smoke bombs before proceeding to the Zhongshan Station area. There, he entered a department store and slashed several people.
One victim was killed while attempting to subdue the attacker at Taipei Main Station, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said.
The suspect later died after jumping from a building in an apparent suicide while trying to evade arrest, authorities confirmed.
Police searches of Chang’s residences in Taipei and Taoyuan, as well as his hotel room, uncovered petrol bombs. Authorities said Chang had previously worked as a security guard and was dismissed from the military two years ago due to alcohol-related issues. He had reportedly been estranged from his family.
President Lai Ching-te said security had been ramped up nationwide, with increased police patrols and rapid-response units deployed at transport hubs, crowded areas and key public facilities. He pledged a thorough investigation into the suspect’s background and motives, including whether any accomplices were involved.
Violent crime is rare in Taiwan, though the incident revived memories of a 2014 stabbing attack on Taipei’s metro system that killed four people and shocked the nation.
