Police in Incheon are deploying profilers to investigate the motive behind a knife attack that injured eight people at a large commercial facility in the city's Namdong District. The focus is on understanding why the suspect targeted random individuals.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Incheon Namdong Police Station is conducting a thorough investigation of the suspect, identified as A (59), who was arrested on charges including attempted murder. Three profilers will assist in the inquiry.
The Incheon Police Agency plans to utilize its own profilers as well as personnel from other regional police departments to determine A's motive.
The profilers will work to establish rapport with A while investigating the background of his attack on strangers in a public space. There have been past instances where suspects, who initially provided little information about their motives, revealed details after being persuaded by profilers.
A was arrested the previous day and is currently being held in a police detention center. It is understood that he did not undergo questioning overnight. However, during a verbal inquiry the day before, he did not invoke his right to remain silent and provided some details about the incident.
At the time of the attack, A was found to be in possession of a large quantity of drugs, but preliminary drug tests conducted by police returned negative results.
A is accused of attempting to kill eight people by stabbing them with a knife at the C&See commercial facility in Guwol-dong, Namdong District, which houses a large supermarket and a cinema, around 1:40 p.m. the previous day.
Among the injured, a woman in her 20s was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest and underwent surgery. Seven other victims, aged between 20 and 50, were also taken to the hospital for treatment by emergency services.
A reportedly wielded a knife secured with white tape in both hands while attacking the victims, who were strangers to him. Bystanders at the scene intervened by throwing chairs to subdue him.
During the incident, A dropped over 2 million won in cash, but police believe this was not intended to lure victims.
A police official stated, “We plan to conduct an investigation today and will apply for A's arrest warrant.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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