A guy slammed his car into the pavement, exited the vehicle, and began stabbing people inside the mall in Seongnam City, South Korea. One person was killed, and 12 others were injured in the attack that occurred on Thursday, August 3.
Stabbing Near Seoul Kills 1, Injures 12
The incidents took place in a busy leisure zone next to a subway station. According to Yoon Sung-hyun, an officer with the police department in the southern province of Gyeonggi, at least nine people were reportedly stabbed, and four more suffered injuries from the car.
In a Reuters article, an older man in his 60s was confirmed dead.
AP News reported that a man in his 20s, who has not yet been named, was apprehended at the site and is now being questioned by police. No early word from police on whether they have any information on a possible motive for the incident.
Forensic units were seen in photos from the area searching the corridors of the AK Plaza. On the pavement outside the Seohyeon metro station, a white Kia hatchback with a shattered windshield and a flat front tire was visible. Blood was seen on the floor at the location, which had been blocked off by police.
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'An Act of Terrorism'
On Thursday, the National Police Agency convened a virtual conference with regional police chiefs to examine strategies for preventing and responding to random assaults such as stabbings.
During the discussion, National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-Keun said the incident was "virtually an act of terrorism." The organization claims that officials have proposed expanding nightly patrols and security camera monitoring in entertainment zones and other high-traffic locations.
He warned that people should be on high alert for similar acts, and authorities should be on the lookout for any imitators.
The event took place just a few days after another unusual stabbing attack in Seoul, which resulted in the death of one person and left three others injured.
According to Aljazeera, at least four people were attacked by a guy with a knife in Seoul on July 21. The individual, thought to be in his 30s, allegedly had an unnamed criminal history. It was not immediately apparent what prompted the assault that day.
Officer Min Moon-ki of the Gwanak Police Station in Seoul confirmed that the victim who died was a male but did not provide any other information about him. According to Moon, the condition of at least one of the three injured people being treated is serious.
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