Twenty-one-year old student – Cheng Jie – was ordered detained by the New Taipei District Court earlier this morning after a 20-minute hearing.

Cheng was arrested by police and metro staff at Jiangzicui MRT Station yesterday afternoon after killing four people and injuring 21 others on an MRT train.

The train was traveling into Banqiao from Longshan Temple Station on the system’s Bannan Line.

Cheng did not have a lawyer present during the hearing and a public defender was appointed to represent him.

In its ruling, the court said it ordered Cheng detained on charges of murder and concern he remains a threat to public safety.

He was taken to the Taipei Detention Center at about 6:20 this morning.

According to police, Cheng’s parents have described him as a loner who likes to play violent video games.

New Taipei City Councilor Lin Guo-chun, who is a neighbor of Cheng, said the boy’s father is hugely apologetic about the  incident.

Cheng killed four people and  injured 21 others – 10 critically – on a Taipei MRT train yesterday afternoon.

The MacKay Memorial Hospital says the two of those injured in yesterday’s attack remain in an intensive care unit but are in a stable condition following surgery.

The National Taiwan University Hospital says if the three female victims admitted there. One remains hospitalized after treatment.

Meanwhile, the mayors of Taipei and New Taipei met this morning to discuss security on the city’s shared metro system following yesterday’s deadly stabbing spree.

According to New Taipei Deputy Mayor Hou You-yi, the number of police officers assigned to transit network details could be increased in order to boost the number of regular patrols on the MRT.

Speaking to reporters, Hou said the extra police presence is also aimed at reducing public concern about a similar incident happening again.

The Ministry of the Interior says it has dispatched an additional 80 offices to patrol Taipei City’s MRT system.

Transport minister Yeh Kuang-shi says his ministry will work with the Ministry of the Interior to improve safety on the MRT system, in light yesterday’s incident.

Speaking during a legislative  hearing earlier, Yeh said his ministry will work with the Taipei and New Taipei city government’s to increase the number and frequency of police patrols on trains.

He said he will also work on speeding up communication systems so medical assistance and response times to such incidents can be shortened.

According to Yeh, his office is also looking into the number of CCTV security cameras around MRT stations and possible adjusting their placement and camera angles to help boost safety.

President Ma Ying-jeou has expressed his shock and sadness over the killings yesterday and has instructed authorities to fully investigate the case and to assist the victims and their families.

 

More in Related News

4 Killed, Dozens Injured in Taiwan Subway Stabbing Spree Fox News. May 21, 2014

4 People Killed in Taiwan Subway Stabbing Spree Time. May 21, 2014

Four Killed in Taiwan Subway Stabbing Wall Street Journal. May 21, 2014

Taiwan Student Detained After Four Killed in Subway Attack Bloomberg. May 21, 2014

 

Photo via Robert S. Donovan