On the evening of the 19th, during rush hour, a suspect threw a smoke grenade and randomly attacked people with a knife inside Taipei Main MRT Station and outside Zhongshan Station. The suspect eventually broke into the Eslite Nanxi Store, continuing to injure people along the way and causing panic among the public. Under pursuit, the suspect finally fell to his death inside the store. During the ordeal, mall counter staff and members of the public helped each other to get through the frightening moments together.
According to United Daily News, after the suspect wielded a long knife at a rider outside the entrance of Eslite Nanxi, he ran into the store and continued to injure people. Many members of the public and counter staff witnessed the event firsthand, shocked by how close death was to them. During the incident, restaurants, counter staff, and the public assisted and supported each other to prevent the harm from escalating.
Some restaurants sheltered members of the public and staff, standing at the front with brooms to protect everyone; some counters, seeing people fleeing, invited them to hide together in storage rooms. Afterwards, members of the public expressed their thanks: “All the Eslite Nanxi staff are heroes. Thank you for calmly directing everyone to escape routes”; “Thank you to the bookstore staff on the fifth floor for calmly leading the way, thank you to the Southeast Asian restaurant staff on the second floor for opening the door to shelter me and my son, thank you to the restaurant on the sixth floor for calling with concern. Thank you to the counter staff—I'm not sure if it was jewelry or clothing—for sharing information about the assailant and offering comfort. Thank you all.”
Eslite Life Nanxi Store Closed for One Day
Eslite Life announced that the Nanxi store would be closed for one day on the 20th to give all staff a chance to rest.
On the 20th, Eslite Life and Eslite Bookstore issued a statement: “Dear friends, together we have faced such a difficult moment. We sincerely thank all the colleagues and partners of Eslite Life Nanxi Store. When the sudden incident occurred, everyone did their best to guide evacuation and provide emergency shelter, to comfort customers and readers, and actively offer help to parents with children, as well as those with disabilities! This has been a dark time, but thanks to everyone, we have all felt the power of courage and love! Let us take time to recover, and start together again. Today, 12/20 (Saturday), Eslite Life Nanxi will be closed for the day to allow staff to rest well, and soon we will welcome everyone again. Wishing you peace of mind and good health for you and your family.”