Hong Kong
CNN
—
Two girls have been stabbed to demise in a Hong Kong mall in a frenzied – and apparently random – assault that has shocked a metropolis the place violent crime is uncommon.
Graphic video clips circulating on social media seem to indicate the attacker pinning one of many girls to the ground and repeatedly stabbing her. In addition they present the girl’s good friend making an attempt to fend off the attacker, with out success. Although the footage doesn’t present it, she too was later stabbed.
The 2 girls, ages 22 and 26, suffered a number of wounds within the assault on the Hollywood Plaza mall in Diamond Hill on Friday afternoon and died after being taken to hospital, based on police.
Police senior superintendent Elieen Chung Lai-yee stated the attacker – who doesn’t seem to have recognized the 2 girls – bought the 12-inch knife used within the assault in the identical mall, shortly earlier than the stabbing.
“He walked round for a couple of minutes after which launched his assault on the primary sufferer,” she stated.
Lai stated the opposite lady got here ahead to cease him, however grew to become a goal herself.
“We discovered a number of knife wounds on (the 2 girls) they usually had been bleeding profusely,” she stated.
Police stated that they had arrested a 39-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of homicide and that the suspect has a historical past of psychological sickness.
The assault has shocked a metropolis the place violent crime of any type is comparatively uncommon, significantly so due to the apparently random nature of the incident.
The town sees just a few dozen homicides annually, in comparison with a number of hundred in New York. And it recorded solely 77 robberies final 12 months – in comparison with greater than 17,000 in New York and 24,000 in London.
On Saturday, some members of the general public left floral tributes on the mall, which is in a largely residential space within the north of the town.
The town’s chief, Chief Government John Lee, stated in an announcement on Saturday that he was saddened by the assault and had despatched condolences to the households of the 2 girls.
Lee, a former police officer, additionally urged residents to cease sharing footage of the assault on-line and stated members of the general public ought to “search skilled help in the event that they expertise any emotional misery.”
“That is an remoted case,” Lee stated.