Taipei knife attack: Suspect began planning assault as early as April 2024, police say

TAIPEI: The suspect behind violent attacks at Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan Station on Friday (Dec 19) evening was believed to have planned the assault as early as April 2024, Taipei police said on Sunday.

The smoke bomb and knife attacks killed three victims and injured 11. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Chang Wen, later died after jumping off a building. Police have preliminarily ruled out terrorism and believe Chang acted alone.

Investigators believe Chang began buying supplies for the attack in April last year, Lu Chun-hung, head of the Taipei Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, said at a news conference on Sunday, as quoted by local media outlets.

Chang purchased items with possible offensive or defensive properties, including tactical gloves, a gas mask, a protective shield and industrial alcohol, Lu said. They were bought on e-commerce platform Shopee.

In January this year, Chang bought 24 Chinese-made smoke bombs for NT$48,000 (US$1,520) from Ruten, another e-commerce platform. He had claimed the bombs were for use in an airsoft survival game, according to Taiwanese media reports.

In November, Chang also bought items including gasoline cans, gas cartridges, torch lighters and methyl alcohol. These were used to make Molotov cocktails, said Taipei police.

Chang used all of the smoke bombs in Friday’s attack, Lu shared during Sunday’s news conference.

Seventeen were thrown in Taipei Main Station, while four others were burned and destroyed inside a bag Chang was carrying at the station.

Two bombs were thrown along Nanjing West Road in front of an Eslite department store near Zhongshan station. The remaining bomb thrown at the store’s entrance did not detonate.

Meanwhile, local news outlet Mirror Media cited the police as saying that several items were found abandoned at the scene of the incident, including petrol bombs, smoke canisters, a gas mask, and knives.

The police also found 15 petrol bombs on the roof of the Eslite department store, where Chang jumped.

Another 23 petrol bombs were found in the hotel where Chang stayed, and five cans of gasoline were found in the apartment he rented in Zhongzheng district, Mirror Media reported.

The long timeline of Chang’s purchases and the use of a pseudonym, Chang Feng-yan, while buying the items, indicates that the attack was premeditated, said the police.

Other aspects of the attack, including where Chang got his long knife and money, the contents of a burned laptop, as well as CCTV footage, were still being analysed.

The police were also planning to contact relevant financial institutions to look into Chang’s finances, Lu said.

Chang was unemployed and had a prior criminal record, with outstanding warrants. Preliminary investigations have found that he acted alone and did not have an accomplice.

According to several local news reports, Chang previously served in Taiwan’s air force but was discharged for drink driving.

As Taiwan reels from the attack, the island’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it is working with police agencies to establish a national task force to curb the spread of violent rhetoric and online threats.

At least 20 posts or comments on social media and online forums in the wake of the attack have already been flagged for containing violent threats or suggesting that an indiscriminate attack would happen, CIB said on Sunday, as quoted by local media.

As of Sunday, three people had been arrested for allegedly making such threats online, CIB said, adding that it would investigate and pursue legal action against those responsible.

Heightened vigilance is also extending to the ground. Taiwanese authorities have said they will ramp up security measures islandwide for major holiday events, including the year-end festive celebrations.

Nearly 700 armed police officers were deployed for the Taipei Marathon on Sunday, double the number deployed in recent years, according to Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an.

All were equipped with guns to protect marathon runners and deter any disruptions, he added.