TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An impromptu memorial has formed near Taipei Main Station’s Exit M7, where flowers, handwritten notes and other offerings were laid to honor victims of a stabbing attack on Friday that left four people dead, including the suspect, and 11 injured.
Among those remembered is a 57-year-old man surnamed Yu (余), who witnesses said tried to intervene during the attack carried out by a 27-year-old suspect surnamed Chang (張). Yu suffered serious injuries while trying to stop the assailant and was rushed to the hospital, where he later died, per CNA.
Messages left at the scene praised Yu’s courage and selflessness. A post circulating on social media, written by a man who said Yu had been his closest friend for 15 years, described him as charming, knowledgeable, helpful, and a devoted husband and father.
The writer said Yu commuted daily between Taoyuan and Taipei and called him a hardworking person who sacrificed himself for the safety of others. He said he was devastated by Yu’s death and urged the public to remember his friend and the courage he showed.
Similar sentiments were expressed by passersby who stopped at the memorial outside Exit M7. Many laid flowers or cards, while others clasped their hands in silent prayer.
One handwritten note, signed by a high school student, read: “This route we high school students take every day to cram school has been made safer through your courage and justice. Thank you for the light you left behind.”
Another note, believed to have been written by Yu’s sister, read: “Dear brother, you were so kind and hardworking. Our whole family loves you. I wish I could have shielded you from all this. I will never be able to let go of this. We will always be with you. Don’t be afraid.”
In response to the attack, police increased patrols at high-traffic areas near Taipei MRT stations on Saturday, including around the Eslite Nanxi Bookstore, as authorities sought to reassure the public about safety.
