Man may have attempted suicide to donate organs

Taipei--A man who was found with a gunshot wound on a street near National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) in Taipei on Wednesday may have tried to kill himself close to a hospital so he could donate his organs, Taipei police said.

The police said they received a report at 7:22 a.m. that the 68-year-old man, identified only by his surname Lu (?), was lying on the intersection of Zhongshan South Road and Xuzhou Road with wounds apparently caused by a gunshot.

A note was found at the site indicating that the author, presumed to be the man, chose a location near NTUH to commit suicide because of his desire to donate his organs.

The wounded man was unconscious when police arrived at the scene, and he was sent to the hospital for treatment, according to the police. His condition had not been updated as of 11 a.m.

The police said they have ruled out the possibility that the man was shot by someone else, given the presence of the note, but they did not find any eyewitnesses to the apparent attempted suicide.

A gun was also found at the scene, and police have launched an investigation to try to track where it came from.

The possession of firearms is banned in Taiwan, and the man did not have any records showing that he had a criminal background or connections with any criminal organization, leaving police to wonder how he acquired the gun he used on himself.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel