NHK reported that the suspect was arrested in the early morning of May 26 while hiding in the house of his biological father, Masamichi Aoki, Chairman of the Nakano City Council.
On the afternoon of May 25, Nakano City Police received an emergency call reporting that a man had chased and stabbed a woman in the Ebe area.
The presence of the police seemed to make the suspect even more insane. Next, he used a gun (suspected to be a shotgun), shooting and killing two police officers, 46 and 61 years old.
A witness reported seeing an attacker with a large knife chasing a woman who was screaming for help. The suspect, dressed in camouflage clothing, a hat, sunglasses and a mask, caught up with her and stabbed her in the back with a knife several dozen centimeters long.
"He continued to stab the victim in the chest after the woman fell to the ground and lay on her back," the witness added.
NHK said the victim, aged around 40, later died from his injuries. In addition to the three people killed, another woman was injured in the shocking attack.
Police officers stand near the scene where the son of Nakano City leader murdered three people on the afternoon of May 25. Photo: Kyodo
The suspect, aged around 30, then ran into the house of the Nakano City Council Chairman and barricaded himself in for several hours before being arrested by police. He was identified as the eldest son of Mr. Masamichi Aoki, 57.
The motive of the murder is still under investigation.
CNN reported that after the suspect went on a rampage, Nakano City police decided to evacuate residents living within a 300 meter radius around the scene.
The authorities have commandeered the gymnasium of a local secondary school. About 60 evacuees have been evacuated there and provided with blankets, food and water.
The house where the suspect shot and stabbed three people to death in Nakano City on the afternoon of May 25. Photo: AP
Gun violence is rare in Japan, a country of about 125 million people. It has one of the lowest gun crime rates in the world due to extremely strict gun control laws.
However, last July, Japan suffered a huge shock when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated with a homemade gun while speaking to a crowd.
Statistics show that there were nine gun-related incidents in Japan in 2022, including the assassination of Mr. Abe, down one from the previous year.
Of the nine incidents, six were believed to be gang-related. In total, four people were killed and two injured in the nine incidents.
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