MRT attacker kills 4 people, injures 22
By Stacy Hsu
/ Staff writer, with CNA
A 21-year-old student allegedly killed four people and injured 22
yesterday in a random killing spree on a train of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit
(MRT) system’s Bannan Line.
The four victims were a 47-year-old woman, a 62-year-old woman and two men
aged 20 and 30. They had reportedly lost all vital signs before they were
rushed to the New Taipei City Hospital ’s Banciao Branch, the Taipei
Hospital and the Far Eastern
Memorial Hospital
It was the first deadly attack on an MRT train since the Taipei
The suspect, who has been identified as Cheng Chieh (鄭捷) from Greater Taichung’s Tunghai University, allegedly started attacking
passengers around him with a 30cm -long
fruit knife while the train was traveling between the Longshan Temple Station
and the Jiangzicui Station at approximately 4:26pm.
He was apprehended by security guards, police officers and other passengers
shortly after the train stopped at the Jiangzicui Station, from where he was
taken to the Jiangzicui police station for questioning.
According to New Taipei City Police Department Director-General Chen
Kuo-en (陳國恩), Cheng boarded an MRT train heading to the Taipei Nangang Exhibition
Center at the Jiangzicui Station earlier in the afternoon and alighted at the
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station.
He subsequently hopped on the ill-fated train heading to the Banciao
Station before carrying out the killing spree, Chen added.
“The suspect told us that he had since elementary school wanted to ‘do
something big’ and that he had shared the idea with some of his high-school and
college classmates,” Chen said.
Chen said Cheng originally planned to execute the idea after he graduated
from university, but decided to move it forward to yesterday after giving it
some thought last week.
“He bought two fruit knives of different sizes from a supermarket before
he boarded the trains… His blood-alcohol content registered 0.04mg/L and he has
no medical records of mental illness,” Chen said.
“He showed no signs of remorse during questioning,” Chen added.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said that for the next two weeks, the
city government planned to deploy 80 special police officers to MRT stations to
conduct routine patrols, to assist the 143 MRT police officers.
“Our priority is to restore order and security at MRT stations to make
sure that our passengers do not feel afraid when taking the metro,” Hau said.
New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said the city government had
instructed all available police officers to patrol the areas surrounding the
city’s 34 MRT stations shortly after the incident, in an effort to tighten
security.
Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (台北捷運公司) general manager Tan Gwa-guang (譚國光) said the company would give NT$4 million (US$132,000) in compensation to
the families of the victims and would take care of all medical expenses
incurred by the injured passengers.
Structure of the Lead：
who-a 21-year-old student
when-not given
what-allegedly killed four people and injured 22 yesterday in a random killing spree
why-not given
where-on a train of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system’s Bannan Line
how-not given
Keywords：
1. allegedly 據稱
2. apprehend 拘押
3. director-general 總幹事
4. alighted 下車
5. subsequently 後來
6. ill-fated 命運多舛
7. remorse 悔意
8. deploy 部署
9. patrol 巡邏
10. metro 地鐵
11. compensation 賠償金
12. incur 招致
6. ill-fated 命運多舛
7. remorse 悔意
8. deploy 部署
9. patrol 巡邏
10. metro 地鐵
11. compensation 賠償金
12. incur 招致
