A few hours after the horrific slashing incident on Liang Seah Street on Thursday night (April 14), Edmund, the owner of Chong Qing Origin Steamboat, took to Facebook Live to share updates on the disturbing attack that left his employee, a 41-year-old woman, severely injured.
In the 22-minute livestream, Edmund recounted his experience arriving at the scene, still in shock. “I was in the car and I was wondering what happened, how come there’s this guy holding a chopper going berserk,” he told his viewers, explaining that he was unaware of the events that led to the attack.
He confirmed that the victim was one of his employees but admitted that he didn’t know the assailant, later identified as the woman’s husband. Edmund shared that he had never met the attacker and was unaware of the marital issues between the victim and her husband. “I don’t really talk about private stuff with my staff… last week I did ask her where’s her husband, she said he went back to China already, so I don’t know what happened.”
Edmund described the chaotic scene, revealing that about 20 to 30 people gathered on the street, armed with chairs and anything they could find to stop the attacker. “They were really brave… they really stopped the attack from becoming worse,” he expressed his gratitude to the community for their efforts to help his employee.
The incident left his staff deeply shaken, though Edmund confirmed that aside from the victim, no one else was injured. “Some of them are scared and they’re crying… They came to me and cried,” he added. His daughter, Seymour, who appeared in the livestream, was visibly distressed and shared that she initially did not realize the woman was a staff member at her father’s restaurant.
As the livestream continued, Seymour, holding her father’s arm, struggled to contain her emotions. “My hands are shaking, I’m really very scared, it’s so bad,” she said, breaking down later in the video. Many viewers expressed their support for the young girl, offering comforting words and advising her to rest.
Edmund also extended his gratitude to neighboring businesses for their quick actions in helping to subdue the attacker. He mentioned that the victim was rushed to the hospital, but he was still awaiting news on her condition. “I don’t know how strong I can be already… I don’t know what else can happen,” he said in response to a comment urging him to stay strong.
The police, who responded to the assault at 5:30 p.m., arrested the 46-year-old attacker after using Taser guns to subdue him. He is set to be charged with attempted murder in court on Saturday.