TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Five victims remain hospitalized Saturday (Dec. 20), including two in serious condition, following a random knife attack at Taipei's busiest transit hub that killed four people Friday (Dec. 19). The attack has raised concerns about copycat violence inspired by Taiwan's first mass transit killing 11 years ago. The 2014 incident, carried out by Cheng Chieh (鄭捷), left four dead and 24 injured on a Taipei Metro train before his execution in 2016.
Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) confirmed the two intensive care patients — one with hemothorax and another with neck injuries — were in stable condition as of 3:20 p.m. Saturday. Three others with chest and neck wounds are recovering in general wards with no life-threatening injuries, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛福部) reported. All victims were treated across 10 hospitals in Taipei and New Taipei City.
Chang Wen (張文), a 27-year-old draft evader, killed three people and injured 11 others Friday evening. The attacks spanned Taipei's Zhongshan District (中山區) and MRT Taipei Main Station (台北車站), the city's main transit hub. Chang fell to his death from the rooftop of Eslite Spectrum Nanxi (誠品南西店), a popular bookstore, while fleeing police. He was pronounced dead at 7:42 p.m., bringing the total death toll to four.
Among the dead was a 57-year-old man identified by his surname Yu (余), who died trying to subdue Chang at MRT Taipei Main Station's (台北車站) Exit M7. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) announced Saturday that Yu's family would receive at least NT$5 million (around US$158,730) in compensation. The funds are provided through insurance coverage from the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. (台北捷運公司), Taipei's metro operator.
The rampage began at 3:40 p.m. Friday when Chang set fires at three locations in Taipei's Zhongshan District (中山區), damaging two motorcycles and three cars. Chang also torched his rented apartment on Gongyuan Road (公園路) at 4:37 p.m. before heading to MRT Taipei Main Station through Exit M8. He threw smoke grenades and stabbed Yu at the M7 Exit at 5:24 p.m.
Chang walked through Zhongshan Underground Mall (中山地下街) to a hotel room he had rented three days earlier. There, he changed into tactical gear and collected more weapons. He then attacked pedestrians and a motorcyclist outside MRT Zhongshan Station (中山站) before entering Eslite Spectrum Nanxi (誠品南西店), a popular bookstore, killing one person and injuring five others while making his way to the rooftop.
Police characterize Chang as a copycat killer who extensively researched Taiwan's first random metro killing in 2014. Investigators recovered cloud storage data from Chang's burned laptop showing he had extensively browsed information about Cheng Chieh (鄭捷). Cheng killed four people and injured 24 on a Taipei Metro train in May 2014 before his execution in May 2016, marking Taiwan's first indiscriminate mass transit killing.
"He is a copycat" and "an admirer of Cheng Chieh," police task force members said. Investigators believe Chang wanted to gain social attention and chose attack locations to "pay tribute" to Cheng. Chang selected areas outside stations rather than inside trains to facilitate escape, police said. His attack plan, recovered from cloud storage, matched his actual movements with an accuracy of over 90%.
Police said Chang began planning in mid-2025 and spent three days conducting reconnaissance, changing disguises five times during the attack to evade capture. Authorities have not disclosed the full contents of Chang's attack plan or whether it indicated additional targets beyond those he attacked. Investigators found that Chang had burned his laptop before the attack to destroy evidence.
Investigators describe Chang as a social outcast with multiple grievances who became increasingly isolated from society. He was discharged from military service for drunk driving and quit a security job due to poor adaptation. Prosecutors wanted him for draft evasion after he failed to report for reserve military training on Nov. 25, 2023. Chang moved out of his family home in Yangmei, Taoyuan (桃園楊梅), in northern Taiwan, two years ago and cut off all contact with relatives and friends.
Health authorities also disclosed Saturday that one victim is HIV-positive, raising concerns about potential transmission to others wounded by the contaminated knife. The Taipei City Health Bureau (台北市衛生局) is notifying hospitals to implement infection control measures. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛福部), Taiwan's health authority, noted the transmission risk through blade contact is less than 0.1%. Health officials did not specify which hospital is treating the HIV-positive victim.
The 15 victims were distributed across 10 hospitals in Taipei and New Taipei City. These included National Taiwan University Hospital (台大醫院), Mackay Memorial Hospital (台北馬偕醫院), and Cathay General Hospital (台北國泰醫院). One smoke inhalation patient was discharged from Mackay at noon Saturday (Dec. 20), bringing the total number of discharged patients to 10, while five remain hospitalized.
Taipei established a contact window to provide psychological counseling and legal consultation for victims and families. Lien Tang-kai (連堂凱), head of the city's Department of Legal Affairs (法務局), Taiwan's municipal legal agency, said one lawyer would be assigned to each injured person and the victim's family. The lawyers will assist with insurance claims and compensation applications through the Association for Victims' Support.
The Ministry of Transportation (交通部) ordered high-speed rail, regular rail and metro systems nationwide to maintain heightened security following the attack. Railway police armed with rifles were deployed Saturday at Taipei Main Station, where mourners placed flowers at the attack scene. The ministry coordinated with the Railway Police Bureau to increase patrols at stations and terminals nationwide.
In southern Taiwan, Kaohsiung police mobilized over 1,000 officers for upcoming Christmas and New Year's Eve events, citing concerns about potential copycat attacks. The city requested 20 additional officers daily from the Security Police Fifth Headquarters (保安第五警察總隊), a national police unit, to patrol train and metro stations. The enhanced security will remain in place through the end of the year.
Chiang said Taipei would bolster security for large public events, particularly the New Year's Eve countdown, by deploying special police units. The city will increase patrols around Taipei Main Station, the Zhongshan commercial area, Ximending (西門町) and Xinyi District (信義區). Police have been instructed to raise alert levels and step up inspections during weekends and nighttime hours. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$31.5)