Japan: Suspect arrested after at least four killed in Nagano shooting incident

In the tragic shooting incident in Nagano, Japan, a son of a city assembly chief was arrested Friday. The entire episode resulted in the killing of a policeman in a stabbing while four other people died in a shooting attack, as per the police, reported Japan Times. The 31-year-old suspect Masanori Aoki is believed to be the eldest son of the speaker of the city assembly in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture.

Aoki allegedly shota police officer and then barricaded himself in the city official's house and remained inside the residence after allegedly stabbing a woman to death and shooting two policemen. However, the reason behind the killings is still to be ascertained.

According to local media reports, a masked man carrying what appeared to be a hunting rifle and a knife, on Thursday (May 25), attacked at least four peoplein the Nagano Prefecture in central Japan.Hours later, the NHK reported that theperson escaped from the building and that some other people might still be inside.

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As per Kyodo News, a pedestrian reported the incident at around 4:25 pm (local time) which prompted authorities to rush to the scene. The country’s public broadcaster NHK said that the police had received reports that a “man stabbed a woman”.

An eyewitness told NHK that he was working nearby when he saw a woman being stabbed. “A woman came running from the road saying ‘help me’ and she fell down,” said the man. He also said that he had called the police and gathered the neighbours to help the woman.

“Behind her came a man wearing camouflage and carrying a large knife, who stabbed her in the back,” said the eyewitness to the public broadcaster. It was later confirmed that two police officers were also killed, although it was not immediately clear if they had been shot or stabbed.

According to local media reports citing eyewitnesses,the suspect was asked why would he do such a thing, to which he responded by saying "I killed because I wanted to."

The three were taken to a nearby hospital, where the woman was later pronounced dead, saidlocal media reports, citing the police. Kyodo News reported that a fourth person was also injured but couldn't be rescued as he istoo close to the scene.

According to the local police, among those attacked were two male police officers, another man and a woman. The man is said to be dressed in a camouflage hat, top and bottoms with sunglasses and a mask, reported NHK.

The police have also warned the locals that a man possessing “a knife or a firearm” is on the run in the area. According tothe Kyodo news agency, the perpetrator is said tobe barricaded in the house of the city council president and multiple gunshots were heard nearby the site.

Meanwhile, Nagano City officials have urged people to stay indoors and children still at local elementary and junior high schools were told to shelter in place. Violent crimes, especially those involving guns, are extremely rare in the country which hasa low murder rate and some of the world’s toughest gun laws.

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