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The assaults shocked Taiwan, where violent crime is rare,
prompting authorities to step up security at crowded spots and
big events, including its New Year’s Eve celebration that
usually attracts many locals and tourists to an outdoor
countdown.
Chang Jung-Hsin, director-general of the National Police Agency,
said the suspect began a series of attacks at 3:40 p.m. local
time, first setting fire to roads and causing damage to cars and
motorbikes. He also set fire to where he lived.
The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits of the
Taipei Main metro station and used a knife to fatally wound a
person, Chang said. After the attack, the suspect took an
underground path to return to the hotel where he was staying.
Then he threw more smoke grenades and used his knife to kill
another person outside the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department
store, the official said.
He also fatally wounded another person on the fourth floor of
the department store building before he jumped from the fifth
floor to his death, Chang said.
The official said the smoke grenades the assailant used could be
purchased online and that the suspect visited the sites before
the attack.
“The suspect planned an indiscriminate attack. He acted
according to his plan,” Chang said, adding the initial
investigation did not find that the suspect acted with anyone
else.
Authorities were still investigating his motive. Chang said the
suspect had voluntarily served in the military but was fired for
drunk driving. The suspect was wanted from July after failing to
report to military service, he added.
“The suspect hasn't contacted his family for more than two
years,” Chang said. “They said the suspect has been interested
in guns and weapons since he was young.”
Six injured people were still in the hospital. Two were being
treated in intensive care units, but their conditions were
stable after surgeries, authorities said.
After receiving briefings from officials, Taiwanese President
Lai Ching-te called for a thorough investigation into the
incident, looking into the suspect's background, motives,
financial resources and whether he received help from others.
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