New Taipei man fatally stabbed after fighting roommate for not saying 'thank you'

新北男子因不說「謝謝」與室友打架而被刺死

Suspect stabs roommate 4 times with military bayonet following fight over door opening manners


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A New Taipei man is being investigated for homicide (殺人罪) for allegedly stabbing his roommate four times with a bayonet after the latter purportedly assaulted him for not immediately saying "thank you" for opening a door.

A 24-year-old man surnamed Yang (楊) and his roommate, a 52-year-old man surnamed Wang (王), got into a verbal dispute because the former failed to proactively thank the latter for opening a door, reported TVBS. The argument escalated into a physical conflict which culminated with Wang being stabbed in the chest and abdomen and dying in the hospital.

The deceased and the suspect reportedly lived together in a sublet apartment on Zhuweizai Street in New Taipei City's Sanchong District and the two had disputes before. At around 8 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 10), Yang, who works as a KTV waiter, was about to set out for work.

However, as Yang walked toward the door of his apartment, Wang opened the door first and immediately reportedly shouted, "I helped you open the door and you won't say thank you?"

Yang claimed that he swiftly apologized by saying: "I'm sorry, thank you!" and quickly walked downstairs and onto Chenggong Road to take his scooter to work. However, Wang became increasingly agitated and chased after Yang and allegedly began to throw punches at Yang, causing him to sustain a bruised left cheek, reported SET News.

Enraged, Yang took out a 20-cm-long military bayonet and allegedly stabbed Wang three times in the chest and once in the abdomen. Wang began to bleed profusely from his wounds and ran to a nearby community to seek help.

Firefighters rushed to the scene after being alerted by the public and found Wang lying in the stairwell in a pool of blood and no signs of life. They rushed him to Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, but doctors were unable to resuscitate him and he was declared dead.

Upon realizing the grave consequences of his actions, Yang stood by awaiting the arrival of the police. He was subsequently handcuffed and taken in for questioning by police.

In his initial statement,Yang claimed that he was assaulted by the other person because he didn't say thank you, which led him to retaliate with a knife. Yang told police that he deeply regretted his behavior.

The exact cause of death and the motive for the killing are still pending clarification through further forensic examination. Following the police questioning, the case will be investigated for potential homicide charges.

SET News cited a source as saying that Yang had a troubled childhood. From a young age, he allegedly endured prolonged domestic abuse from his father.

He reportedly witnessed his Chinese mother being sent back to China by his father. After his father's passing, Yang is said to have lived a "solitary and difficult life."

Yang reportedly regularly carried a military-style combat knife in his backpack driven by a strong sense of a need for self-defense.