[Anchor]

Brave citizens successfully subdued a man who went on a rampage with weapons tied to both of his hands, preventing further casualties. It was confirmed that the man, who had previously served a prison sentence for attempted murder, was with a probation officer up until an hour before the crime.

Reporter An Huijae has the details.

[Reporter]

A man identified by his surname Choi rampaged through a large multi-complex shopping mall, indiscriminately brandishing weapons.

Investigators found that he committed the crimes moving between the basement level, which houses a large supermarket, and the upper floors via escalators.

Victims emerged across various locations, with six people injured on the second floor alone, including a victim in their 20s who suffered cardiac arrest.

The peaceful downtown shopping center turned into chaos in an instant.

[Voice from the scene at the time: Casualties, casualties! Someone is stabbing with a weapon right now! They say he has a weapon, run away!]

Witnesses reported that weapons were bound to both of Choi's hands with bandages, apparently to ensure he would not drop them.

[Witness: They say he tied the weapons to both hands with bandages. Because they were tied, people couldn't knock them out by striking them....]

Despite the extreme fear, citizens mustered their courage and joined forces.

[Kang Byung-hoon / Witness: I was wondering what was going on when suddenly a man was standing there holding weapons from behind. Everyone told each other to pick up chairs, and as we defended ourselves with chairs, he ran away.]

They directly subdued Choi and handed him over to the police.

It was found that Choi was sentenced to four years in prison for attempted murder after swinging a weapon at his ex-wife in 2015, and has been wearing an electronic tracking anklet since his release in 2019.

It was also confirmed that Choi underwent professional counseling and a meeting with a probation officer yesterday morning (October 13), and even had a meal with his probation officer up until an hour before the crime.

The Ministry of Justice issued an apology for causing great concern to the public, stating that it will thoroughly investigate the overall management and supervision of electronic anklets to formulate preventive measures.

Acting National Police Agency Commissioner General Kim Jong-chul emphasized strict investigation and support for victims, and ordered a full-scale response to the possession of weapons in public places.

(Video reporting: Lim Dong-guk | Video editing: Park Ji-in | Design: Kim Han-gil, Jang Sung-bum)