TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) publicly expressed her sadness on Thursday (Dec. 28) over the death of a high school student fatally attacked by a classmate on Dec. 25.

Tsai posted a message on Facebook expressing her “deepest condolences to the deceased student and family,” and outlined measures government departments were taking to address the incident. Tsai said that Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) had instructed the education ministry to prioritize counseling and assistance to students and teachers in the wake of the killing.

Tsai also said that the local governments of six cities in Taiwan will hold a meeting next week to focus on dealing with the aftermath of the event. She said the meeting will hear expertise from youth social workers, teachers, parents, students, the courts, scholars, and civil society organizations.

Tsai said the work of “strengthening the social safety net” is ongoing. “If there are any shortcomings, central government will work with local government to improve the network so that parents and children can learn and grow in a safer environment,” she said.

Taiwan’s three presidential candidates also noted the incident during a televised policy address on Thursday. Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te (賴清德) spoke of the need for better mental health counseling, while the Kuomintang’s Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) said Taiwan must be tougher on crime.

The student who carried out the attack is being investigated for attempted murder, and may face homicide charges following the victim’s death.