Three killed in Taipei stabbing, smoke bomb attack

Officials say suspect, who died after falling from a building during police chase, carried out ‘indiscriminate attacks’.Published On 19 Dec 2025At least three people have been killed and five injured after a knife-wielding attacker went on a rampage in central Taipei, before dying during a police chase, local authorities say.Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai said in a statement on Friday that the suspect had let off smoke bombs at Taipei’s main train station, and then ran to a nearby subway station in a busy shopping district, attacking people on the way.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump says China’s Xi Jinping agreed to accelerate purchases of US goodslist 2 of 3China spat with Japan on Taiwan deepens, reaches UN: What’s it all about?list 3 of 3China warns foreign interference in Taiwan will be ‘crushed’end of listThe attacks were “a deliberate act”, although the motive was not immediately clear, Cho said.“He deliberately threw smoke bombs and wielded a long knife to carry out indiscriminate attacks on the public,” the premier added.The suspect then died during a police chase after falling from a building, according to local officials.Mayor Chiang Wan-an told reporters that the attacker had apparently jumped off the building “to evade arrest and has been confirmed dead”.This picture taken and released by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) on December 19 shows police patrolling at a metro station in Taipei, after attacks at two stations in the city [AFP]Images released by Taiwan’s Central News Agency showed a canister on the ground at the Main Station, with officers examining potential evidence at the scene.Identifying the deceased suspect only by his last name, Chang, Premier Cho told reporters that he had a prior criminal record and outstanding warrants and said his house has been searched.“We will investigate his background and associated relationships to understand his motives and determine if there are other connected factors,” he added.