Incheon releases footage of citizens stopping knife attacker; eight injured

Police in Incheon released CCTV footage on October 14 showing citizens confronting a knife attacker with chairs at a large commercial building in Guwol-dong, Namdong district. Newsis reported that the footage showed four citizens restraining the 59-year-old suspect as he came down an escalator, followed by his arrest by arriving police. Dong-A Ilbo also described citizens holding him in place with chairs shortly before officers arrived. [ 9 , 11 ]

Eight people were injured in the attack on October 13, according to Seoul Shinmun, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Dong-A Ilbo. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that a woman in her twenties had been taken to hospital in cardiac arrest and remained unconscious. The outlet said police planned to seek an arrest warrant for the suspect on suspicion of attempted murder. [ 1 , 6 , 11 ]

Yonhap identified one participant as Shin Jung-hyeon (신중현), 23, who had been going to the fourth-floor cinema with his girlfriend. He told the agency that he threw a chair toward the armed man as the man approached the fourth floor. Kyunghyang Shinmun also described Na Hyeon-jun (나현준), 31, joining a food-court operator who was using a chair to block the suspect on the second floor. [ 2 , 6 ]

Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae had asked the government to honour Shin and Na. Police said five citizens had helped subdue and capture the suspect and would be considered for appropriate awards. Reports differ on the attack's timing: several place its start at about 13:40, while Dong-A Ilbo gives about 13:49 and says police arrived around 13:53. Seoul Shinmun described the knife attack as lasting about 30 minutes, whereas Dong-A Ilbo reported about four minutes. [ 1 , 2 , 6 , 11 ]