A 27-year-old man named Zhang Wen killed three pedestrians and injured at least eleven more during a killing spree near Taipei's Zhongshan metro station on December 19, 2025.
Predmeditated
Police investigations revealed that Zhang had premeditated the attack. He set fires in Taipei before setting out to distract emergency responders and had stockpiled 25 Molotov cocktails and other explosives in his rented hotel room.
According to decrypted cloud documents by the police, Zhang had started planning as early as mid-year, writing an extensive 'crime plan document'.
Zhang had originally planned to use the Molotov cocktails alongside the smoke bombs to cause chaos along thedensely crowded storefront, forcing civilians into confined spaces and increasing the casualty count.
The Attack
However, on the night of the attack, just as Zhang was pushing a cart loaded with Molotov cocktails near the Taiepi Metro Station, he was stopped by a man surnamed Yu, who thought the scene looked unusual. The two men scuffled, during which a device in the cart was accidentally triggered, starting a fire.
Although the fire scared surrounding pedestrians, it also prevented Zhang from obtaining the Molotov cocktails, forcing him to abandon his original plan and preventing a large-scale assault on the station's pedestrians. Metro police did not respond in time to the incident, allowing Zhang time to walk away.
Disrupted but not deterred, Zhangchose not to launch a second wave of attacks immediately. Instead, he first calmly returned to his hotel and changed into protective gear. Reflecting on the earlier mishap, he decided to abandon the cumbersome Molotov cocktails. Armed only with smoke bombs and knives, he headed out a second time towards the Zhongshan metro station.
Upon arrival atthe Nanjing West Road shopping district, he threw a smoke bomb and rushed into a branch of the popular Taiwanese bookstore Eslite, slashing and stabbing passersby at random.
Multiple pedestrians were injured in the ensuing chaos, but many of those who quickly fled the scene helped arriving police officers quickly lock onto Zhang's whereabouts.
Zhang, finding police response faster than he previously estimated, abandoned his original plan to sweep through the entire department store floor by floor and instead fled towards the rooftop while injuring several more people on the way. Upon reaching the top of the building, he stripped off his gear and jumped to his death.
Background
Zhang was an Air Force volunteer discharged due to a DUI incident and wanted for evading military duties. Despite coming from a stable background, he had long been estranged from hisfamily, with investigators finding that he had not contacted his parents for over two years and had not seen his brother for five. （Related： Taiwan Legislature Proposes to Remove Premiere, Hints at Impeaching President ｜ Latest ）
Family members noted they could only track his movements through minimal financial traces and were shocked by his act of terror.
