Suspect in 'Sillim-dong Weapon Rampage' Stole Weapon 10 Minutes Before Crime

Jo Mo (33, in custody), the suspect in the Shinlim-dong stabbing rampage, was investigated to have stolen a weapon 10 minutes before the crime, then took a taxi to the area near Sinlim Station to commit the crime.

Jo Mo, who indiscriminately wielded a weapon against pedestrians, killing one person and injuring three others, is leaving Gwanak Police Station on the 23rd to attend a pre-arrest suspect hearing (warrant review) held at the Seoul Central District Court. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the police on the 24th, Jo took a taxi from his residence in Incheon at 12:03 PM on the 21st and arrived at his grandmother’s house in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul at 12:59 PM. An hour later, at 1:57 PM, he stole two weapons from a mart near his grandmother’s house in Doksan-dong, Geumcheon-gu, then took a taxi again.

At 2:07 PM, Jo got off near Exit 4 of Sinlim Station in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, and immediately committed his first crime with the stolen weapon. The police determined that he left the other weapon in the taxi.

Jo stabbed a man in his 20s more than 10 times at the entrance of a shopping alley about 80 meters from Exit 4, killing him, then moved further into the alley and wielded the weapon at three men in their 30s. Six minutes after the first crime, at 2:13 PM, he was sitting on the stairs in front of a nearby sports center when he was arrested in the act.

In earlier investigations, Jo said he chose the busy area around Sinlim Station because "I had visited a few times before with friends for drinking, so I knew it was a crowded place," the police reported.

The police believe Jo did not commit the crime due to financial difficulties and are continuing to investigate his motive. However, since his arrest, Jo has changed his statements multiple times, making it difficult to verify the facts. He initially claimed to have taken fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller, but later retracted this. After a drug screening test showed negative results, the police requested a detailed examination of Jo’s hair at the National Forensic Service.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that Jo was previously punished 13 years ago for assaulting a stranger at a bar in Shinlim-dong. In the same year, he also received a fine for insurance fraud.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.