TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Police revealed Monday (Dec. 22) that knife attacker Chang Wen (張文) had only NT$39 (around US$1.24) in his Chunghwa Post (中華郵政), Taiwan's postal banking system, account before Friday's (Dec. 19) metro rampage that killed four people and injured 11 others. Investigators are examining Chang's financial history to determine motives for the attack, which ended with his suicide from a department store rooftop.
Chang's previous funds primarily covered NT$17,000 (around US$540) monthly rent and NT$30,000 (around US$952) quarterly contributions from his mother. The 27-year-old former volunteer air force member, discharged for drunk driving, later worked as a security guard in central Taiwan, saving over NT$90,000 (around US$2,857) by early last year. Police discovered his financial situation had deteriorated significantly before the attack.
Investigators noted 14 irregular cash deposits in Chang's account over the past two years, ranging from a few thousand to over NT$10,000 (around US$317). They suspect he relied on part-time jobs to pay his NT$17,000 (around US$540) monthly rent. Between June 2023 and June 2024, Chang worked at a security firm, earning approximately NT$39,000 (around US$1,238) per month, with overtime and allowances increasing his income to over NT$40,000 (around US$1,270).
Chang abruptly left the security job and reported no income for over a year, surviving on occasional allowances from his mother. Chang's family background appears stable, with his father an engineer and his mother an accountant. He had not contacted his parents for over two years and hadn't seen his brother in Kaohsiung, Taiwan's southern port city, for five years. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$31.5)