A Man Brandishing a Knife Took a Female Passerby Hostage at Tuen Mun Town Plaza, Police Arrived at the Scene and Fired Shots to Subdue Him

The Police received a report at approximately 7:10 pm on January 15, stating that a suspicious man had taken a knife from a shop in Tuen Mun Town Plaza. Promptly arriving at the scene, the Police found the man holding a 12-inch knife on Tuen Wui Street outside the Plaza. At the time, the man was waving the knife at several passersby, causing panic and prompting the public to flee.

The man took a knife from a shop in Tuen Mun Town Plaza. Photo source: Threads@oliviachows

The man held a 12-inch knife on Tuen Wui Street outside Tuen Mun Town Plaza, Photo source: online image

The man waved the knife at several passersby, causing panic and prompting the public to flee. Photo source: online image

Ms. Chung Lai Yee, the Senior Superintendent of Police from Crime New Territories North Headquarters, stated that the Police immediately issued verbal warnings to the man, but to no avail. They then fired pepper spray at him, but the man entered Tuen Mun Town Plaza through an entrance and quickly exited through another. As he exited, he grabbed a female passerby hostage and simultaneously attacked her with the knife he was holding.

Ms. Chung Lai Yee, the Senior Superintendent of Police from Crime New Territories North Headquarters, Photo source: FB of the Hong Kong Police

Ms. Chung mentioned that the Police issued warnings to the man again, but to no avail repeatedly. Two officers of the Emergency Unit each fired a shot at the man. The man fell to the ground after being shot and was immediately subdued by the Police. Immediately rescuing the female hostage, the Police provided first aid to the man, who was then sent to Tuen Mun Hospital for further treatment. The man was pronounced dead at 8:40 pm after resuscitation efforts failed, while the female passerby was also taken to the hospital for treatment with injuries.

Two officers of the Emergency Unit each fired a shot at the man. Photo source: online image

Two officers of the Emergency Unit each fired a shot at the man. Photo source: on-site CCTV

Ms. Chung stated that police subsequently found a packet of suspected dangerous drugs and an extendable baton in the man's shoulder bag. Doctors have found a bullet in the man's body, with gunshot wounds to the chest and right shoulder. The female hostage sustained minor injuries. The Police also searched the scene, finding a bullet hole and two shell casings in the exterior wall of a shop at the shooting location.

Ms. Chung said that according to preliminary investigations, the deceased is a 34-year-old local man holding a Hong Kong identity card, with underworld connections and a previous drug-related criminal conviction. As for the case, the Police reviewed numerous CCTV clips and found no accomplices with him. Drugs were found on the man, raising the possibility that he may have been under the influence of drugs at the time of the attack. The case is currently being followed up by Team 2 of the Regional Crime Unit of New Territories North for further investigation.

Mr. Wong Ho Hon, the Deputy District Commander of Tuen Mun, Photo source: FB of the Hong Kong Police

Mr. Wong Ho Hon, the Deputy District Commander of Tuen Mun, stated that the Police have stringent guidelines regarding the use of firearms. Given the seriousness of the incident, the officers of the Emergency Unit New Territories North opted for immediate tactical intervention. The actions of the two officers fully complied with the Police's requirements for the use of firearms, using them only when there were no other options. Mr. Wong pointed out that the Police undergo rigorous training, making the use of firearms always aimed at the largest part of ​​the body. In this case, both shots did strike the largest part of the body. Moreover, Mr. Wong emphasized that using firearms is an extremely difficult decision for the Police, based on the purpose to save the life of an innocent passerby this time.

ROME (AP) — A car-ramming and stabbing attack in Italy's northern city of Modena by a citizen of Moroccan descent highlights the challenges around integration even for those in the second generation, the interior minister said Monday.

Eight people were wounded, four critically, when the 31-year-old man drove into pedestrians Saturday before crashing into a shop window.

Despite ruling out terrorism, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said it cannot be dismissed as an isolated incident. He said investigators must fully examine the factors behind the attack, suggesting social marginalization and perceived discrimination might have played a role.

Some Italian politicians seized on the attack to voice xenophobic rhetoric, and renewed focus on so-called second-generation Italians — people born or raised in Italy to foreign parents — who are often at the center of debates over identity, citizenship and integration.

“At this stage, there are no elements that correspond to the classic profile of a terrorist who plans violent actions,” Piantedosi told the daily Il Giornale, noting the man's mental health concerns and social distress. “But all this cannot lead us to dismiss the attack as the act of an isolated madman.”

Italian authorities said the suspect, identified as Salim El Koudri, attempted to flee and slightly wounded a bystander with a knife before being overpowered by passersby and detained by police. Prosecutors arrested him on charges including massacre and aggravated injury. A court hearing on whether to validate his detention was postponed to Tuesday.

El Koudri's lawyer said he will request a psychiatric evaluation, describing his client as “not lucid” and unable to explain what happened.

Fausto Gianelli, who met El Koudri in the Modena jail, said the man appears to be in a state of “absolute confusion” and lacks awareness of the events, which he seems to relive “as if for the first time” when they described them to him, the lawyer told Italian TV.

A woman remains in life-threatening condition while other victims also sustained severe injuries, officials said.

The suspect, born in Italy and university-educated, had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and had shown frustration over his work and social condition, local authorities said. They said he underwent treatment in 2022 for what officials described as a schizoid disorder before dropping out of care.

Still, the case has fueled political debate in Italy, where controlling and limiting migration is a key priority in Premier Giorgia Meloni ’s conservative agenda.

Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-migrant League party, referred to the suspect as a “second-generation criminal” in a social post, renewing calls for stricter migration measures.

Salvini said he has instructed a group of jurists to refine security proposals recently presented by League, including the revocation of residence permits for foreigners who commit crimes, with immediate expulsion. He didn't provide data backing his proposal.

Opposition politicians criticized the government for seeking to use the case to toughen immigration rules.

“Even before the responsibilities and circumstances surrounding the incident had emerged, the deputy premier (Salvini) transformed a dramatic episode into an anti-immigrant rally,” said Carlo Calenda, leader of opposition party Azione.

Piantedosi sought to draw a distinction between the Modena attack and the government’s migration policies, stressing the suspect’s Italian citizenship while noting that doesn't guarantee successful integration.

He highlighted an email El Koudri sent to his university containing insulting language against Christians before later apologizing, suggesting possible resentment linked to perceived discrimination.

Piantedosi said investigators are still working to establish the full motive for the attack. He said the incident raises “profound questions” about integration, identity and marginalization, particularly among some second-generation immigrants.

Under Italy’s citizenship system, many are not automatically recognized as Italian at birth and may have to apply later in life. They may also face pressures linked to integration, including challenges in education, employment and social inclusion.

Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti called generalizations about foreigners “nonsense,” noting that two Egyptian migrants were among those who helped stop the attacker.

Thousands of residents gathered in Modena’s central Piazza Grande over the weekend in a show of solidarity with the victims.

Financial Police patrol a scene after a car incident in a street of Modena, Italy, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)

Blood is seen next to a destroyed car on a street of Modena, Italy, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)