Hong Kong police said on Saturday (June 3) that finding the motivation behind the brutal knife attack that killed two women at a busy Diamond Hill shopping mall will be a top priority. They also noted that there was no evidence to suggest that their main suspect, a 39-year-old unemployed man with a history of mental illness, knew his victims.
Speaking at a press conference in the early hours today, Senior Superintendent Chung Lai-yee of the Kowloon East Regional Headquarters said the man first repeatedly stabbed one of the women with the knife before moving on to attack her friend, who unsuccessfully tried to stop the murderer.
Read more: Watch This | 2 women killed in brutal stabbing at Diamond Hill mall
Chung claimed that when authorities shortly got on the scene, they found the two victims, ages 22 and 26, lying unconscious on the ground and bleeding profusely from several knife wounds.
They were pronounced dead at United Christian Hospital after suffering massive bleeding. Officers subdued and arrested the 39-year-old man at the mall. The suspect was being held for questioning overnight.
"The motive of this suspect is one of our most important police investigations," Senior Inspector Hui Ham-fong told reporters at the briefing. "We will endeavor all our efforts to bring the suspect to justice."
On the question of whether the killer knew his victims, she added, "There is no concrete evidence to support that the suspect has any acquaintance with the two victims."
The attacker is said to have entered the shopping mall 15 minutes beforehand and bought a 12-inch knife from a shop, which he subsequently used to slash the victims.
The force appealed to people who might have witnessed the brutal incident to come forward with information.
Earlier, the Social Welfare Department advised people not to share the video of the attack, which has been circulating online. It also urged those who experience emotional distress after watching the video to seek professional help.
The department said people can call its 24-hour hotline on 2343-2255 for immediate telephone counseling, support and referral services. They may also call the hotline of the Hong Kong Red Cross on 5164-5040 for assistance.
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