Reuters
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A man suspected of carrying out an attack using smoke bombs and a knife in Taiwan acted alone, police said Saturday, in an attack that left four people dead, including the attacker.
Zhang Wen, 27, a resident of the northern city of Taoyuan, died Friday night after falling from a building during a police pursuit in a crowded shopping street in central Taipei, police said.
National Police Agency Commissioner Jang Jeong-shin told reporters, “Based on the related verification work that has been carried out continuously since yesterday, it has not been confirmed that the suspect had any other accomplices.”
An investigation into the motive is ongoing.
Prime Minister Cho Jun-tai announced late Friday that the man was the subject of an arrest warrant on suspicion of evading Taiwan’s mandatory military service.
According to the Ministry of Health, 11 people were injured in the attack, two of whom are in intensive care.
Police said Zhang Wen detonated a smoke bomb at Taipei’s main train station, then headed to a shopping mall at a nearby subway station, where he attacked people inside and on his way there.
Violent crimes are extremely rare in Taiwan, and the incident prompted increased police presence across the island, including the bustling capital Taipei.
Mayor Chiang Wan’an told reporters: “We have strengthened safety measures citywide in areas where crowds gather in various commercial districts in Taipei.” “This includes not only increasing police presence, but also ensuring that all officers are fully equipped with the necessary equipment.”
President Lai Qingde, who visited some of the injured in hospital on Saturday morning, wrote on his Facebook page that the government would learn lessons from the incident.
“We will also ensure that rapid response forces are immediately available in the event of an emergency to protect public safety,” he said.
