"Targeting the Vulnerable"... Citizens Fight Back With Umbrellas and Chairs

[Anchor]

It has been learned that the 50-something suspect surnamed Choi, who went on a knife rampage in Guwol-dong, Incheon, stated during police questioning that he targeted people weaker than himself. CCTV footage captured the desperate situation as it unfolded, and it was brave citizens who subdued this indiscriminate knife attack.

Here is a report by reporter Bae Seong-jae.

[Reporter]

The brutal crime committed by Choi, the suspect in the Guwol-dong knife attack, began in the restaurant area on the second floor of a complex shopping center.

With weapons taped to both of his hands, Choi rushed toward a female restaurant employee, instantly turning a peaceful routine into a scene of terror.

Startled citizens began scattering amid screams, and Choi pursued them with a fast pace like a predator chasing its prey.

[Oh my goodness, what should we do? Oh my goodness, why are they acting like that?]

The owner couple of a snack bar, who faced Choi holding long umbrellas out of urgency, first pulled down their store shutter and called 112.

[Please come quickly. I am not lying, you need to come quickly. People are getting hurt and it is chaos right now.]

As the indiscriminate knife rampage continued.

One citizen who confronted Choi by throwing a chair fell and tumbled down toward the lower part of the escalator while trying to dodge the weapon.

When citizens holding chairs started closing in one by one,

[Kang Byung-hoon / Citizen who subdued suspect Choi: When someone said with a sense of urgency that we should pick up chairs, I think everyone picked up chairs. I think almost without exception, everyone picked up a chair.]

Choi boarded a descending escalator and headed back up to the fourth floor, where a movie theater is located.

Moments later, Choi collapsed after being hit by something. The person who threw a chair at Choi from the fourth floor was 23-year-old Shin Jung-hyun, who had come to watch a movie with his girlfriend.

[Shin Jung-hyun / Citizen who subdued suspect Choi: I do not know what kind of sudden courage came over me. I thought that if that person came up, the situation would turn out much worse.]

Citizens on the third floor subdued the stunned Choi with chairs, and with the arrival of the police, the five-minute indiscriminate knife rampage finally came to an end.

[Shin Jung-hyun / Citizen who subdued suspect Choi: The look in his eyes was truly one that said he was going to kill someone. That is why I made up my mind right there that I had to throw it.]

During police questioning, Choi was found to have stated, "I chose people who looked weaker than me."

Regarding the five citizens who risked their lives to help apprehend Choi, police stated, "We will take measures to ensure they receive appropriate rewards."

(Video filming: Choi Dae-woong, Video editing: Kim Jun-hee)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.