TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Prosecutors conducted an autopsy Tuesday (Dec. 23) on the 27-year-old attacker who killed three people and injured 11 others near Taipei's transportation hubs on Dec. 19. The assailant, surnamed Chang (張), threw smoke bombs and stabbed passersby before falling to his death. Authorities are investigating which factors contributed to the rampage that has sparked nationwide debate over public safety.
The two-hour autopsy at Taipei Mortuary Services Office Second Funeral Parlor (台北市第二殯儀館) aimed to determine if alcohol, drugs, or other substances influenced Chang's rampage. Prosecutors have not disclosed any findings from Monday's (Dec. 23) procedure despite intense public interest in the attacker's mental state. Chang's parents arrived 30 minutes before the autopsy, accompanied by Taipei police, bowing and kneeling in apology to the media gathered outside.
The bystander, surnamed Yu (余), who attempted to stop Chang from igniting petrol bombs, died during Dec. 19 attack near Taipei Main Station. Yu's mother publicly expressed pride in her son's actions while urging the public not to blame Chang's parents for the deadly rampage. She emphasized that Chang, as an adult, bore sole responsibility for his actions independent of his family's influence.
The deadly attack has ignited nationwide debate over parental responsibility when adult children commit violent crimes in Taiwan's traditionally family-oriented society. Media personality Chan Ling-yu (詹凌瑀) publicly supported Yu's mother's position, stating that Chang should bear full responsibility as an adult. Legal experts and social commentators continue to examine the boundaries between family accountability and individual responsibility in high-profile criminal cases.