Police have decided to conduct a psychopathy assessment on the suspect in the "Gwangju random stabbing" case, in which a high school student was attacked with a knife while walking on the street. Despite the suspect's claim that the crime was impulsive, police are not ruling out the possibility that it was premeditated.
Unknown High School Student Attacked Without Clear Motive... Psychopathy Test Decided
According to the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday, police plan to conduct a Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) assessment on Jang, 24, who was arrested on emergency charges of murder and attempted murder, after completing his detention procedures. The PCL-R is a tool that quantifies antisocial personality traits by evaluating 20 items, including callousness, impulsivity, lack of empathy and irresponsibility, with a maximum score of 40. In Korea, a score of 25 or higher classifies a subject as a psychopath.
Police decided to conduct the test because Jang committed the crime against a high school student he did not know, without any understandable motive. So far, no factors directly linked to the crime—such as drug or alcohol use before the attack, history of mental illness diagnosis or treatment, or family environment—have been identified.
The investigation is also gaining pace. On the same day, police recovered a blood-stained knife from a drainage ditch near the location where Jang had abandoned his vehicle. While awaiting forensic results to determine whether this knife was the weapon used in the crime, police have also applied for an arrest warrant for Jang. A review will also be conducted on whether to disclose his personal information.
Suspect Claims "Impulsive Crime"... Police "Investigating Premeditation"
Jang is suspected of stabbing and killing A, a 17-year-old high school junior, at around 0:11 a.m. on Wednesday on a street near a university in Wolgye-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, and then wielding the knife against B, also 17, inflicting serious injuries.
A had been walking about 4 kilometers home alone that night to save on taxi fare. B, who ran to the scene after hearing A's screams, was also injured by Jang's knife.
In police questioning, Jang has claimed the crime was impulsive, stating, "I had parked my car near the crime scene and was wandering around contemplating suicide when I encountered A twice, and impulsively decided to commit the crime."
However, police see it differently. Evidence has emerged that Jang drove slowly around the area before the crime, passed A who was walking alone, then turned back and wielded the knife. Based on this, police are intensively investigating whether the crime was premeditated.
Jang's movements immediately after the crime were also methodical. He abandoned his vehicle nearby, switched to a taxi to flee, and stopped at a laundromat along the way to remove bloodstains from his clothes. After tracing Jang's movements, police arrested him near his home, about 1 kilometer from the crime scene, at around 11:24 a.m. the same day.
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