Taipei Knife Attack: Good Samaritan among the Dead

One of the three people who died during the Dec 19 Taipei knife attack was a good Samaritan who tried too stop the attacker.

On Dec 19, 27-year-old Chang Wen hurled smoke grenades during the Friday after-work rush hour, going on a rampage through central Taipei while wielding a long knife. He left three people dead and at least 11 injured. Taipei police have ruled out terrorism as a motive.

The 57-year-old hero,surnamed Yu,tried to stop Chang but later died,reported English-language daily Taipei Times on Dec 21,citing Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an.

He sustained a 5cm-deep wound that went from his right lung to the left atrium of his heart, according to the National Taiwan University Hospital.

Mr Yu’s family will recieve at least NT$5 million (S$205,000) under Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s insurance coverage.

Additionally, a contact window has been set up to provide psychological counselling and legal consultation to those who were injured and families of the deceased.

A lawyer will also be assigned to each injured person and each of the dead victims’ families to help with insurance claims and compensation.

A witness told Taipei Times that she saw a victim collapse as Chang went on his rampage.

As members of the public rushed to help, the victim told the witness: “Remember to tell my parents that I love them.”

The witness later found out that the victim had died, and managed to relay the final words to the relatives after the victim’s colleagues contacted her.