Taipei police still tracing finances of Taipei attacker

Taipei, Dec. 22 (CNA) Police are actively tracing the finances of Chang Wen (張文) to determine how he obtained the money to plan and carry out a recent stabbing spree in Taipei, the head of the city's Criminal Investigation Division said Monday.

Police will report any progress as soon as details become available, Lu Chun-hung (盧俊宏) said at a news conference on the deadly incident that left four people dead, including Chang, and at least 11 others injured.

Chang, who fell to his death from the roof of a six-story department store while being pursued by police, is believed to have meticulously planned the attack and began buying supplies more than a year and a half ago.

Concerns have been raised about how he financed the attack. A former professional soldier, Chang was discharged from the military in 2022 for drunk driving and later worked as a security guard for about a year. After leaving that job, he remained unemployed, and in July a warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to report for reservist training.

It has been reported that Chang's mother sent him quarterly remittances of NT$30,000 (US$951) last year.

Lu again urged the public not to spread threats or violent messages online, saying police will thoroughly investigate such activity to prevent potential copycat attacks.

Meanwhile, the city's law enforcement agency has also faced public criticism over its response to the incident, with some questioning why the police did not act more quickly.

During a news conference, the Taipei Police Department argued that the attacker changed disguises five times and used three modes of transport -- walking, scooter, and YouBike -- which greatly hindered the police investigation.

Chang scouted the area in advance to familiarize himself with the layout, enabling him to commit the attacks and flee quickly, it said.

Police said they will accept public feedback and review how to better coordinate between agencies and respond more quickly to future incidents.