Chef arrested after ‘bloody massacre’ online threat sparks Taipei copycat fears

A sushi chef arrested for posting pictures of knives on Facebook and threatening to stage a “bloody massacre” was released on bail on Friday.

The man, surnamed Chan, 27, originally posted a message that said: "Tonight I'll carry out a bloody massacre. I'll use thse two knives to do something big". 

Netizens dubbed him "Hong Kong's Cheng Chieh", who went on a rampage in a Taipei subway station on May 20, stabbing to death  four passengers and injuring 21 more.

But a day later   Chan said he had been referring to killing cockroaches.

"Is it surprising for a chef to possess knives? Whose home has no knives? Can't I use them to kill cockroaches? Don't overreact!" he wrote.

Chan's Facebook  account was then deactivated.