4 dead & 11 injured in Taipei after man, 27, throws smoke bombs & attacks people with knife near metro stations

Four people have died after a 27-year-old man threw smoke bombs and attacked passers-by with a knife in Taiwan on Dec. 19.

The man was identified as Chang Wen and later died from falling off a building during a police chase, TVBS World Taiwan confirmed in posts on its X account.

Chang had a criminal record and was wanted by the authorities for evading military service. His motive remains unclear. 

According to Taiwan News, Chang had thrown smoke bombs near two metro stations in Taipei on the same evening.

Threw smoke bombs in front of metro station and attacked random people

A 42-second video of Chang in action was shared on Threads, showing him crouching in the middle of the road in front of Zhongshan station as passers-by looked on.

Clad in an all-black attire, he was seen throwing smoke bombs around him with people watching on and some running away.

Chang then took out a blade from a bag on the ground and walked towards the main entrance of a nearby building housing the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi bookstore, attacking random passers-by in his way.

He then ran into the first floor of the building, and members of the public could be seen running away from him.

Another Threads post also showed authorities later approaching and surrounding an injured individual lying on the ground outside the building.

Man died following police chase

According to Taiwan News, Chang had thrown smoke bombs near two metro stations in Taipei, namely the Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan Station on the same evening.

One person suffered injuries and later died from the smoke bomb attack at Taipei Main Station, while several others were injured near Zhongshan Station.

Authorities then investigated the two incidents after assessing that they could be connected and conducted by the same person.

Chang reportedly later fell from the fifth or sixth floor of the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi building, and was later taken to the hospital.

TVBS World Taiwan confirmed in an earlier post that he was pronounced dead at 7:42pm (Taipei time).

Four men, including Chang, aged between 27 and 57, died from the incident.

Burnt his own apartment before train station attacks

In a later post on X at 10pm (Singapore time), TVBS World Taiwan said that Chang had allegedly set fire to his apartment, car and two motorcycles before the attacks.

Authorities also found 25 Molotov cocktails in a hotel room he had stayed in prior to the incident.

🚨 BREAKING: Chang Wen torched his apartment, car, 2 motorcycles before metro attack. Police searching burned rental home and found 25 Molotov cocktails in hotel room where he stayed 2 days prior. Carried undetonated firebombs during rampage. pic.twitter.com/iCR2d0LCww

— TVBS World Taiwan (@tvbsworldtaiwan) December 19, 2025

Related story

Top photos via @bubble_tea_friendstw & @_tonyun/Threads