Shooting and stabbing in Japan leave 4 dead

A man in Nagano prefecture used a gun and a knife to attack and kill four people, including two police officers.

A witness said on May 25 that he was working at a farm in Nakano city, Nagano prefecture, when "a woman ran from the street saying 'help me' and fell down."

“Behind her was a man in camouflage, holding a large knife,” the 72-year-old witness said. After the woman fell, about 3 meters away from the witness, the suspect stabbed her from behind with a knife.

“Why did you do that?” the man asked. “I killed because I wanted to,” the suspect said and left the scene.

Witnesses then called an ambulance and neighbors tried to give first aid to the woman. When a police patrol car arrived at the scene, the attacker turned around and opened fire on the car, killing two police officers.

The woman who was stabbed later died in hospital. The two police officers who died were identified as Yoshiki Tamai, 46, and Takuo Ikeuchi, 61. Officials urged people in Nakano to stay indoors until it was safe.

Kyodo news agency reported that the suspect is in his 30s and is the son of the chairman of the Nakano city council.

Police near the scene of a stabbing and shooting incident in Nakano city, Nagano prefecture on May 25. Photo: Kyodo — Police near the scene of a stabbing and shooting incident in Nakano city, Nagano prefecture on May 25. Photo: *Kyodo*

The suspect was arrested at around 4:30 a.m. on May 26 outside a farm near Nakano City. A city council spokesman said the suspect had been hiding for several hours in his father’s house.

Two women, including the suspect's mother, escaped from the house, but one of them later died.

This is a rare act of violence in Japan, where the murder rate is low and gun laws are among the strictest in the world . Anyone in Japan who wants to own a gun must go through a rigorous screening process before being granted a license. The motive for the attack in Nakano is not yet clear.

Last July, Japan was shocked when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in broad daylight with a homemade gun. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, is believed to have targeted Mr. Abe because of his links to the Unification Church.

And last month, a man was arrested for allegedly throwing an explosive device at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as he campaigned in the western city of Wakayama. Mr. Kishida was not injured in the incident. The suspect will undergo a three-month psychiatric evaluation before prosecutors decide whether to indict him.

Huyen Le (According to AFP , Reuters, Japan Times )

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