Edward Sun, son of two of Taiwan's most prominent entertainers, faces up to ten years in prison after a social media video showing him firing a modified flamethrower along a Taipei riverbank drew swift police action — and renewed scrutiny of the island's strict firearms regulations.
Riverbank Video Sparks Outcry
On the evening of May 14, a video posted to Instagram showed a young man dressed in dark clothing igniting a heavy-duty flamethrower on a riverbank in Beitou, a district in northern Taipei. Flames shot more than ten meters into the night air, briefly swallowing the surrounding scenery in a wall of red fire and black smoke. The man in the video laughed toward the camera and quipped that the device would be useful for "getting rid of rats."
The clip went viral almost immediately — and not in a way its creator likely intended.
The man behind the stunt was Edward Sun (孫安佐), 26, the only son of Taiwanese entertainment couple Di Ying (狄鶯) and Sun Peng (孫鵬), both household names in Taiwan's television industry. This was not his first brush with the law over weapons: in 2018, while studying in the United States, Sun was arrested on federal terrorism threat charges after telling classmates he wanted to shoot up his school. Authorities found over 1,600 rounds of ammunition and an assembled handgun at his residence. He served 238 days in custody before being deported and permanently barred from re-entering the United States. Now, back in Taiwan, he faces a new set of charges — this time on home soil.
Within two days of the video's posting, police had obtained a search warrant. Officers arrived at Sun's Beitou residence in the early hours of May 16 and arrested him as he slept.
Weapons Found at His Home
The search uncovered a shotgun, a replica firearm, and an additional flamethrower component. Investigators noted that the shotgun's barrel was fully functional — a critical detail under Taiwanese law, where a cleared barrel is grounds for weapons charges. If forensic testing confirms the weapon is capable of causing injury, Sun could face up to ten years in prison under Taiwan's Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act.
Sun has denied ownership of the shotgun and the replica firearm, claiming they were left at his home by a friend whose identity he has declined to reveal. Prosecutors have yet to confirm whether that person exists.
Two others associated with the video — a cameraman identified by the alias "Youzi" (佑子) and a financier known as "Qiuwei" (秋偉)— were also questioned. Both were released on bail of NT$20,000 each with residential restrictions imposed.
Prosecutors argued that Sun posed a flight risk and a danger of destroying evidence or re-offending, and successfully petitioned the court for a two-month detention order with a communication blackout.
A Pattern of Weapons Incidents
This is not Sun's first encounter with law enforcement over firearms.
In March 2018, while studying in the United States, Sun told classmates he wanted to "shoot up a school." The comment triggered an immediate police response. Authorities searched his residence and found more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, along with an assembled handgun and related components. Sun was arrested on charges of making a terrorist threat.
The case was handled at the federal level. Sun was held in a Pennsylvania prison before reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors. He served 238 days in custody before being deported and permanently barred from re-entering the United States.
Upon his return to Taiwan, prosecutors filed charges related to weapons manufacturing, but the court declined to hear the case on the grounds that the alleged offences occurred on US soil, placing them outside Taiwan's jurisdiction.
His Mother's Defence Triggers Its Own Controversy
Sun's mother, Di Ying, took to a livestream shortly after his arrest to defend her son. She argued that he had been building flamethrowers since middle school and suggested, in remarks that quickly drew derision, that Taiwan's top research body — Academia Sinica — ought to recruit him.
The comment was raised by legislators during a session of the Legislative Yuan, pivoting the controversy toward a broader conversation about research talent and institutional recruitment standards in Taiwan.
Academia Sinica President James C. Liao (廖俊智) responded carefully, noting that all hiring criteria at the institution are publicly available and transparent. He also clarified that Academia Sinica focuses on basic scientific research and has no involvement in military or weapons-related work — suggesting that any relevant defence applications would fall under the purview of the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology instead.
Taiwan's Firearms Laws Among Asia's Strictest
The incident has prompted renewed attention to Taiwan's firearms legislation, which is among the strictest in the Asia-Pacific region.
Under the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act, unauthorised possession of a functional handgun or rifle carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to NT$10 million (US$312,500). Possession of a functional shotgun, air gun, or similar weapon that can discharge metal projectiles carries three to ten years and a fine of up to NT$7 million (US$218,750). Unlicensed modification of a shotgun to make it functional and capable of causing injury is treated as manufacturing under the law — an offence punishable by life imprisonment or no less than five years, plus a fine of up to NT$10 million (US$312,500).
Even replica firearms fall under regulatory control: possession of a prohibited replica carries a civil fine of up to NT$200,000 (US$6,250) and mandatory confiscation.
Taiwan does carve out limited exceptions for indigenous communities and fishing workers who rely on self-made hunting rifles as tools of their livelihood. In those cases, criminal penalties are replaced by administrative fines ranging from NT$2,000 to NT$20,000 (US$62 to US$625) — a distinction grounded in cultural and practical recognition.
Taiwan's approach mirrors that of its neighbours. Japan, South Korea, and Singapore all maintain comparably strict frameworks and report extremely low rates of civilian firearm ownership. The contrast with the United States — where the Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms — is stark. Even in that comparatively permissive legal environment, Sun managed to cross a line that resulted in federal charges, imprisonment, and permanent deportation.
What Comes Next
Sun remains in detention as prosecutors build their case. The forensic assessment of the shotgun found at his Beitou home is expected to be a determining factor in the charges he ultimately faces.
The case has exposed a fault line in Taiwan's public discourse: the tension between celebrity culture, social media recklessness, and the legal framework the island has built around weapons control. For a society where civilian gun ownership is nearly non-existent by design, the spectacle of a flamethrower lighting up a Taipei riverbank — broadcast live to thousands of followers — has proven deeply unsettling. （Related： Exclusive | Taiwan Could Lose Organ Transplant Independence to China Within a Decade, Top Scientist Warns ｜ Latest ）
