At least 9 wounded in Taipei smoke grenade and knife attack

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — At least nine people were injured in an indiscriminate smoke grenade and knife attack in Taiwan’s capital on Friday, and the suspect appeared to have jumped from a building to avoid arrest, Taipei’s mayor said.

Police said the suspect was certified dead after being sent to the hospital, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported.

The suspect threw smoke grenades at the Taipei Main subway station near the city’s main train station, sending pedestrians running, according to local media reports.

He then rode the subway one stop, exited the station and threw more smoke grenades on the street, according to footage carried by broadcaster EBC. He was holding a knife and wielding it at pedestrians before running into a shop, causing people to scream, the video showed.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an said four of the wounded were seriously hurt.

Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said that one of the wounded was a pedestrian who fell to the ground after being attacked, and that person was already in cardiac arrest before being sent to a hospital. The smoke caused respiratory injuries to another person.

Cho said that authorities were still investigating the background of the suspect. They have requested police to increase security in train and subway stations across the island.