Four people were killed on Thursday in an attack by a man armed with a knife and a hunting rifle in Nagano prefecture in central Japan. This is reported by the agency Kyodo. The assailant then barricaded himself in a nearby building, police apprehended the suspect several hours later. The motive for the crime is unknown.
According to a witness, a man in a camouflage uniform, hat, balaclava and sunglasses stabbed one woman and shot two policemen who were called to the scene. A Japanese news agency later reported a fourth victim, an elderly woman who was found injured and later pronounced dead.
Earlier, local authorities reported that an injured man was found near the house. Two other women, including the suspect’s mother, managed to escape, writes Kjódó.
According to one of her sources, the police apparently detained the son of the chairman of the city council in the city of Nakano in connection with the attack. It is said that the house where he hid belongs to his father.
Such attacks are unusual in Japan. Japan is among the countries with the least number of violent crimes in the world, and firearms in the country are under strict control, reminds Reuters.
Source: Blesk