Passengers will receive free travel on the Taichung Mass Rapid Transit (TMRT) system for life for stepping in to subdue a man who boarded the train armed with knives and attacked two people. Video footage captured by bystanders showed several brave passengers struggling with the suspect, including one of the victims, who had suffered a cut to his face.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said the Taichung City Government will honor these passengers at the next public security meeting. The Taichung MRT will also reward them with free travel services for life. Regarding the victims, Lu said the Taichung City Government will cover their medical expenses, and that additional free services from private medical groups are available to them.
Mayor Lu has furthermore called for increased police presence in the Taichung MRT. Beginning Wednesday morning, police officers have been assigned to each metro train carriage to support MRT security personnel. Police stations throughout Taichung have assigned additional patrols throughout the station areas, as well.
The 20-year-old suspect, a man surnamed Hung (洪), had boarded the train around 11 a.m. on Tuesday with a kitchen knife and two fruit knives hidden in his bag. He slashed a 27-year-old man across the cheek and jaw and a 17-year-old boy on the chest, shoulder, and arm. Passengers rushed Hung and successfully wrestled the weapons away from him, pinning him to the carriage door. His motives for the attack are not yet known.