At least three people were killed and nine others injured after a knife-wielding attacker carried out a rare and shocking rampage across central Taipei on Friday evening, triggering panic in crowded metro stations and shopping districts. The violence unfolded around 5:20 pm local time, at the height of the city&rsquo;s rush hour, when the suspect set off smoke bombs at Taipei Main Station before moving through nearby areas stabbing people at random.
Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said the 27-year-old suspect, identified as Chang Wen, detonated smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails inside Taipei Main Station, which is linked to a busy underground shopping street. He then fled through the underground passage towards Zhongshan Station, about 800 metres away. &ldquo;We will investigate his background and associated relationships to understand his motives and determine if there are other connected factors,&rdquo; Cho said, adding that the motive remained unclear.
According to officials, the attacker briefly returned to his hotel to pick up another weapon before re-emerging near Zhongshan Station, where he set off more smoke bombs and stabbed additional victims. One man who attempted to stop the attacker was struck with a blunt object and later died in hospital. Videos circulating online showed terrified commuters fleeing as smoke filled public spaces, with the attacker seen carrying a large knife while moving through traffic.
Police eventually surrounded the suspect inside a nearby bookshop and department store complex. Chang later fell from the multi-storey building and died in hospital. President William Lai and Premier Cho ordered immediate security reinforcements at metro and railway stations as well as airports. Violent attacks of this scale are rare in Taiwan, with the last comparable incident occurring in 2014, when four people were killed on a Taipei underground train.

Three killed, nine injured in rare metro-linked rampage during rush hour

Taipei Stabbing Leaves City Shaken

Three killed, nine injured in rare metro-linked rampage during rush hour

December 20, 2025 | 17:02 IST