Passengers take down knife attacker on 10th anniversary of Taipei Metro Attack

Three people were sent to hospital after a man traveling on a Taichung City MRT train suddenly attacked people with a knife before he was subdued by other passengers today, Tuesday, May 21.

According to reports, a 20-year-old man, named Hong, boarded a train at Shui’an Temple Station at around 11:15 am. When the train was approaching City Hall Station, Hong suddenly took out a knife and lunged at another man.

Many passengers scrambled away from the carriage in fear, but several men bravely confronted the attacker, one man using an umbrella as a defensive weapon. Hong was finally pushed to the ground. Two men suffered knife wounds in the melee. A 17-year-old male, named Lu, had knife wounds to his chest and arms, and a 27-year-old man, named Hsu, suffered a 7-8 centimeter cut to his face. Hong was also slightly injured.

Metro police were alerted to the incident after passengers pressed the emergency intercom. When police arrived, the knifeman was being held on the ground by station staff and passengers.

According to the investigation so far, Hong is known to suffer from mental illness. Hong normally resides in Kaohsiung, and travelled to Taichung yesterday. Three knives were found in Hong’s possession after the incident.

The attack comes on the 10th anniversary of the Taipei Metro Attack. On May 21, 2014, 21-year-old Cheng Chieh carried out a stabbing spree on a crowded Taipei Metro train, killing four people and injuring 24. Cheng was subsequently arrested, sentenced to death, and executed.

Whether Hong was carrying out a copycat attack or not is currently under investigation.

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